Newspaper Clippings, 1883 - "From Eastern Nevada"

TERRITORIAL ENTERPRISE

Sunday .... February 25, 1883

FROM EASTERN NEVADA.

Washington's Birthday -- A Forty-seven Pounder -- Explanatory Austin Cigarette Smokers -- Prospectors and Prospects About that Quail Proposition -- Melarkey -- Legislative Suggestions -- Religious Vice

[Correspondence of the Enterprise.]

AUSTIN, Nevada, February 23, 1883.

Yesterday being Washington’s Birthday, and the weather particularly fine, of the Spring-like and bland order, this national holiday occasion was celebrated with more than usual interest. There was no public celebration, but the public generally celebrated. Bank, express, telegraph and Post office were closed, or held Sunday hours; there was "no school," and young Austin was patriotically happy. Numerous flags were displayed, and an infinite amount of fire-crackers and bombs were hilariously popped and banged. Even the Chinese joined quite extensively in this part of the demonstration, and had their big dragon flag flying together with the American flag. John rather enjoys our American holidays, although he considers that none of them come quite up to China New Year. No regular salutes were fired, although the Austin artillery caused small thunder to belch forth occasionally from the brazen throat of their big forty-seven-pounder -- I think it weighs about that.

Captain Jack, one of the most intelligent of Reese River Piutes, desired to have this holiday racket explained to him, and it was very lucidly done, after the following style, in his own language:

“Who you call um Washumtung?” “Oh, he heapa big man, Jack, heapa big American chief.” “Aller same Winnemucca?” “Yes, Jack, only heapa more so. He heapa good chief. Allee’ Mericans heap likum. This he birthday; when he come little pappoose first time, you kno; savvy that, Jack.” “No.” “Well, anyhow, Jack, Washington President; great General; heap pite; lickum dam British; fixum country bully,” "Washumtun die?” “Yes, heapa die, long time ago." "Chinaman killum?” "No, no; dear me, no; he catchem sick - gone up - no come pappoose no more." "Ugh! You heapa likum - heapa shootum big gin - whatser matter now?" "Oh? get out, Jack; it's no use wasting time trying to explain things to a dam thick-headed Indian.”

Jack strode away, evidently puzzled as to whether his would-be informant was a fool or a crank.

JUVENILE SMOKERS.

The small boys of the Comstock, adepts as they are at learning anything that they should not, in the way of little or big vices, are not at all ahead of the small boys of the eastern part of the State in that respect. The juvenile boys of Austin are all veteran cigarette smokers. It is quite common to find small squads of them taking advantage of the pleasant weather to play hookey from school and get out behind an old cabin, or in some secluded place among the sagebrush, and every one of them puffing away at cigarettes, and playing cards like Piutes. It is not a growing vice, but one fully matured and in constant practice. Even the parents themselves are not really aware of the extent of this demoralizing vice among their little boys. Some of the most extensive tobacco consumers of the future are preparing to graduate from Austin.

OUTWARD MOVEMENTS.

The fine warm weather of the last few days suggesting the nearer proximity of Spring, fires up the sanguine souls of old prospectors, and they are talking of places away out in the hills here they think big things are to be found in the way of new ledges and mines of silver, gold or copper. And they are getting their old picks and things ready for a movement outward in some direction as soon as the season is fairly opened. Yankee Blade District, three or four miles north of here, is considered to contain just as good ledges as Austin. Some are being worked to very good advantage and profit, and more will be in due time. Bernice District, in Churchill county, is attracting considerable attention. It is a new mining locality, and some very good paying ledges are being developed there. The mines of here, although worked and mismanaged into obscurity years ago, are again coming to the front. The old Murphy mine, in Ophir canyon, was bought last year by a company of Denver capitalists, principal among whom is Jonas Seely, formerly of your city. It is now known as the Twin River mine. They have expended about $100,000 in new hoisting and milling arrangements and the practical development of the mine, and under the efficient superintendence of L. J. Hanchett it is now yielding finely, and furnishing regular shipments of silver bullion.

THE QUAIL PROPOSITION.

Colonel Charley, of the Piutes, has heard about that old quail proposition which has so long been going to the rounds, to the effect that somebody will wager any amount of coin that no man can eat one quail a day for thirty consecutive days. Charley stands ready to take that bet whenever anybody sees fit to put it to him in tangible shape. He is anxious for it, and only objects to being limited in the quail supply. As stated in my last week's letter, Charley recently returned from a hunting visit to the Sink of the Humboldt, where he lived on ducks, geese and mud hens for two months, and brought home six big sackful for home consumption. He will himself bet on eating two or three ducks every day for a year, and says he will match his big old "sequaw," Susan, against anybody to eat anything in the shape of game, from a quail to a goose or a sandhill crane. Says he:

"Where's er man's got um quails? I bet um money I eatum dozen quails every day aller time. Whatser matter quails? Dam good grub, you bet. Tellum come see me. Show me quails.” And the old fellow smiled right jolly over the softness of the idea.

Seriously, though, that one quail a day proposition is simply a popular humbug. There are thousands of old California miners who never thought anything of eating from half a dozen to a dozen quail at a meal, and as often as they could get them - the oftener the better. The objectionable feature is the bet, with them, would be merely the aggravation of being allowed only one quail a day.

LEGISLATIVE.

We all naturally watch interestedly the movements and transactions of our toiling legislators at Carson. They have done very well thus far, and shown a very commendable degree of earnestness of purpose and practical legislative common sense. Wiser heads than even theirs have tackled the railroad problem and been floored, but they will not. They know how to get away with it. Putting off the Melarkey bill by the Assembly to be killed in the Senate, or vetoed by the Governor on the ground of special legislation against any one corporation, was a fine stroke of policy. The thread of the railroad discourse will be passed over to the next legislature, two years hence. If our present legislators conclude to obey and abide by their platform resolutions an instructions relative to providing for a Constitutional Convention, well and good, and perfectly consistent; and any amendment to the Constitution which they may see fit to suggest will be eminently in order and perfectly proper. Let them go through the compiled statutes carefully and weed out all the obsolete and dead ­ letter propositions therein contained, and especially sit down on the lottery law, the practical result of which has merely and solely been to confine the gambling wickedness of lotteries to church fairs and Sunday School socials. This assumption of morality on the stature book, which is openly violated, nullified and repudiated by our moral and religious teachings, is a scandalous inconsistency and an infernal humbug.

ALF DOTEN.

TERRITORIAL ENTERPRISE

Sunday……….May 6, 1883

FROM EASTERN NEVADA.

May-Day With Strawberries and Snow Cream—Lamb and Green Peas—Austin Fruits—Army Horses for Arizona—Mill Recuperation—A Long Shaft for a Long Belt—An Acceptable Brick—Carson and Colorado Prospects—Is Sharon Really on Deck—Knights of Pythias—A Connubial Mash.

[Correspondence of the Enterprise.]

AUSTIN, Nev., May 4, 1883.

Nobody in this section ever saw a rougher May-day than was last Tuesday. Snow and hail fell fast and furious all day, and if it had been a little colder, good sleighing would have been furnished, but although several inches fell, only four or five inches at a time kept in sight and that was soft and murky, not lasting long. If there is anything in the old saying of the weather sharps about a month coming in like a lion and going out like a lamb, the closing of May should be exceedingly lamb-like. Green peas are already plenty in our markets, and in the matter of strawberries Austin is not at all behind the Comstock. Cherries are also in market, and all the other fresh fruits will be along in due season. Snow, frost or any other adverse conditions of the weather make no difference to the Austin fruit and vegetable market. Even at the worst we have enough canned fruits at the grocery stores to last a year or so.

HORSES FOR ARIZONA.

An army agent has been engaged the last two or three weeks in Reese River Valley buying 300 horses for cavalry service in Arizona, and the other day a Colonel, a Captain, a Lieutenant and an Inspector arrived here by rail from San Francisco to attend to the matter. They quartered themselves at private lodgings, bringing along their own whisky, tobacco and similar commissary stores, and yesterday they got a carriage and rode out to Rooker’s ranch, on the river, some eight or ten miles from here, where the horses have been gathered in by various parties from all directions. The Inspector is supposed to pass judgment upon each and every animal, seriatim; but what the Colonel, Captain and Lieutenant have to do in the matter is not clearly understood, unless they are along to inspect the Inspector, and stick red tape and sealing wax on each horse as fast as they are passed upon and accepted. From here the horses will be driven to Wadsworth, and then shipped by rail to San Francisco, whence the cavalry will proceed to Arizona with all possible dispatch, there to join General Crook in his efforts to subjugate the hostile, murdering Apaches. To most people it would seem a little strange that these army agents should come over into Nevada for cavalry horses, instead of seeking them in the southern ranching sections of California; but they say that horses, although plenty and cheap there, are generally too small and scrubby. What they want is good, sound, well-broken horses, none less than fifteen hands and an inch high, and at prices from $60 to $120 each. The chances are that Uncle Sam will have to pay the latter figure for every horse.

RECUPERATING.

The repairs and overhauling of the Manhattan mill are progressing energetically. After a steady run of six months, the pan-millers and other ore reduction arrangements were naturally found to be much worn and in need of renovation, but the most imperative reason for the stoppage was the giving out of the large heavy belt running from the batteries to drive the pan department. This belt was of rubber, twenty inches wide and about 150 feet long. It cost $600, and had been running about three years. Like its predecessors, it had to wear out in due time, splitting and calling for frequent patching up of late. The first belt placed there cost $1,000. Some weeks ago, in view of this belt giving out, and the cost of maintaining belts in that particular and very essential position, it was decided to substitute a line shaft with bevel gearing at each end. The requisite shaft, with all its attachments, boxes, gearing, etc., was accordingly cast and prepared at the foundry and machine shops of the company, and was got ready just as the big belt refused further duty. The shaft is four inches in diameter and seventy feet long, being cast in sections of about twelve feet each. The whole constitutes a very creditable piece of work for an establishment away out in the hills—in fact, it could not have been done any better in San Francisco or the East. Moreover, several little improvement, original here, were adopted. For instance, to each one of the series of boxes or journal bearings is attached a substantial iron plate two or three inches square, which, by means of a strong spiral spring, is made to constantly press a square cake of tallow against the journal, thus keeping it amply and unfailingly lubricated. A solid foundation of stone is now being prepared, and in a couple of weeks or so the shaft will be in place, all other requisite repairs completed, and the mill started into full operation again.

NEAT AND APPRECIATIVE.

W. A. Hall, foreman of the Manhattan machine shops, was a day or two ago unexpectedly made the pleased recipient of a handsome as well as valuable present from Melville Curtis, Superintendent of the company. It was in the shape of a very neatly moulded bar or brick of silver bullion, seven inches long by three inches wide, and an inch and a half thick, weighing 117 ounces and worth about $150. It was presented as a mark of esteem and appreciation of his long and efficient services. Mr. Hall is a thorough master mechanic, and has been in command of the blacksmithing and machinery department for thirteen years, commencing with a small forge in a 10X12 shanty, and increasing with the requirements, year by year, until now he runs about 150 feet of machine shop, complete in every respect. He is a very energetic, as well as ingenious, mechanic, originating many valuable improvements, and will terminate his long and faithful service by a trip to his old home in the East, where he proposes to settle down with a comfortable competence, financially, for the rest of his days. Ross, the famous and trusty messenger on the Central Pacific Railroad, who recently so valiantly defended the express car for some hours successfully against a band of desperate attacking robbers, was rewarded with a gold watch and $1,000 in coin. Now, let robbers lay for that, and also for Hall’s silver brick, when he passes over the road. But Hall thinks a heap of that little brick, and would fight as hard for it as Ross would for a whole car-load of treasure.

AUSTIN PROSPECTORS.

Many a former resident and worker of the mines of Austin can now be found hopefully extending his mineralogical investigations to other parts of the State, and in all newly developed and promising localities. Thus it is that they are found at various promising points along the vicinity of the Carson and Colorado Railroad. In Walker Lake Mining District, at the foot of Walker Lake, within five miles of Hawthorne, some Austinites have a little five-stamp mill, recently started into operation, working ore from their mines on Cat creek, near by. They are meeting with excellent paying success thus far, and expect dto be millionaires in due time. During the coming season some very important and valuable mining developments are pretty sure to be made in the interesting section of country now being opened up by the Carson and Colorado Railroad.

HOPEFUL.

Has Sharon really regained control of the Yellow Jacket Mine? If so, waterlogged Gold Hill has a more hopeful future for its end of the Comstock. He will not care to pump out all that water from the lower levels just yet, but he will go for the upper workings and old bonanza levels for all they are worth. The Yellow Jacket is the old king pin of the situation. Sharon got crowded out and has been kept back long enough, and if he has really succeeded in getting the upperhand of the situation once more, he has thousands of friends to rejoice that the quiet little keen-eyed boss financier is on deck again. Anyhow, everybody has been willing to welcome a change where the chances are for the better. The Comstock has been and still is the mining pulse of the State, and the leading indication of its financial health, wealth and prosperity.

THE KNIGHTS.

Grand Chancellor Mitchell, of the Knights of Pythias in this State, has paid his visit to the Lodges of Eastern Nevada, and gone back to his Comstock home. His stay in Austin was brief, but he seemed to enjoy it hugely, and stayed one day longer than he intended, for he was exceedingly well treated. Toiyabe Lodge No. 9, here in Austin, is composed of the best citizens, well up to the work, and is well organized, splendidly conducted and deservedly flourishing. All true Knights are welcome within their castle hall, and their latch string hospitably hangs outward. Mitchell took a good and appreciative look at the public institutions, the resources and the loaves and fishes of Austin. He critically and approvingly inspected the various mining works and the mill, but never liking to leap recklessly, as it were, he did not plunge into the deep, dark recess of the mines. He left Austin well impressed, however, and may visit us again some day, perhaps.

Sypkens willfully stays out in the hills, prospecting, and the Widow McWinzle has given him up as a hopeless case. He can now return with perfect impunity, for she has made a successful mash on Professor Snider. The festive old fellow wilts under the melting influence of her poetically sympathetic eyes, like a pigweed beneath the rays of the midsummer sun, and it is not difficult to foresee a connubial consolidation. The widow is not poor, neither physically nor financially, and Snider is resigned. Some of the envious and unkind slyly whisper that it’s a "big joke on Snider," but he thinks he can stand it. The widow has at last found a name that she can rhyme into poetic verse, and gently, hopefully, murmurs and scribbles Snider, bider, hider, guider, wider, cider, ride-ah !

ALF. DOTEN.

TERRITORIAL ENTERPRISE

Sunday……….May 13, 1883

Entered at the Postoffice at Virginia City, Nevada, as second-class matter.

FROM EASTERN NEVADA.

A Juvenile Horse Boom—Tributers’ Luck, and Fortune’s Tribute—A Gold Hiller’s Grand Recognition—Eastern Nevada Mining Prospects—Another Promising Mine—A Political Squib—Weathercocks.

[Correspondence of the Enterprise.]

AUSTIN, Nev., May 11, 1883.

The Colonel, Captain, Lieutenant and the Inspector mentioned in my last week’s letter as being here buying up all the able-bodied regulation-sized horses they could find in Reese River Valley and vicinity for United States cavalry service down in Arizona, left the equine rendezvous, Rooker’s ranch, on the river, day before yesterday, with over 300 head, driving to Wadsworth, where they will be shipped over the Central Pacific to San Francisco, thence to be forwarded to the seat of Indian war in Arizona. Another band of horses also passed down the valley, bound for Wyoming. This exodus of horses included several mares with young colts. These colts being too young to be taken along were given away to whoever would take them. Our Austin school-boys somehow got wind of it, and the result was a general surreptitious rush for the valley of boys, little and big, regardless as to whether school kept or not. The colts all got owners, and quite a number were brought to town. One boy came home the happy proprietor of two colts, while other colts came in with half a dozen ambitious proprietors apiece. One little yellow colt paraded the main street, the center of attraction of an admiring crowd of small boys, all of whom claimed an interest in him, and he pranced and frisked about apparently interested in them all. About dusk his lodgings were decided upon, and he marched to a woodshed on a back street amid a triumphal procession of boys and girls bearing bunches of hay, pitchers of milk, sugar, chunks of bread or anything they thought he would eat. It was some like a circus parade, and many of them would have been delighted to sleep with that colt if their parents or big brothers and sisters had not hunted them up and taken them home. Young Austin now talks juvenile horse, and this sudden dispensation of colts is the chief sensation of the day.

FORTUNE’S FAVORITES.

Every run of the mill gives good luck to somebody, especially among the tribute workers in the mines. Many who thus suddenly realize a nice sum of money from the crushing of their little ore piles, as the result of many or a few months' patient search and successful labor, just quietly square up all their back bills, put some coin in the bank, and quietly go ahead working for a larger stake. And it is claimed by the storekeepers and others interested that many who thus become lush in the way of funds "sink" their money and forget or neglect to come forward and settle either new or old bills. Others again, after honorably liquidating their indebtedness, have a good time with their friend, get themselves an outfit of store clothes, and take a trip to their old home, or depart to make a new home in some more genial and promising locality. Harry Blewett, formerly of Gold Hill, and well and favorably known among the miners of the Comstock, left Wednesday morning for a visit to his relatives and friends in the old country. He goes to Camborne parish, Cornwall, whence come so many of our best English mining boys. Harry has been a hard worker in these mines for the last half dozen years, and recently struck it pretty good in the Ruby, where fortune favored him with a nice bunch or so of high-grade ore. He takes along plenty of coin to have a good time with, and leaves some behind for a nest-egg, proposing to return in the course of three or four months. Harry is deservedly popular, and his numerous friends gave him a private complimentary social on Saturday evening as a sort of well-wishing send-off. August Betz, another bonanza man and old resident, leaves next Monday morning with his family for their new home in Oregon. Speaking of bonanza men, I notice that

A GOLD HILLER

Appears to be in luck. A Washington dispatch, dated May 7, says: "The President has recognized H. Harrison, of Gold Hill, Nevada, as Vice Consul for Denmark." Now, this can be none other than our festive, rheumatic friend, "Old Man Harris," the well-known old-time assayer of Gold Hill and Silver City. Everybody knows him, and he knows everybody else. He is a well-read man; in fact, belongs to the Improved Order of Red Men, I think, and is very way well fitted for the Danish Consulship, speaking the language like a native. He probably obtains this Presidential “recognition” through the influence of Senator Jones, who has always been his warm friend. The worst that can be said of Harris is that he has harassed his friends and neighbors always with the worst puns that a chronic punster is capable of, and it may be considered that Jones is doing a social service in shipping him off to Denmark. Harris has been constantly afflicted with rheumatic pains and contortions as a standing punishment for his incessant puns, but he can’t help punning, anyhow. If he were dying in a garret, his last rheumatic remark would be: "This is a room-attic arrangement.”

MINING MATTERS.

Throughout Eastern Nevada mining matters are at present rather on the improve. Even the mines of Eureka are looking up a little, and Tuscarora is inclined to boom. Here in the Reese River section things in that line are looking well, and promising better. Pending the repairs to the mill the mines of Austin are actively working, with a large amount of ore in sight, and a good prospect for keeping the mill running three or four months or more, when it starts up again, which will be in about a week. Out at Jefferson and Ophir Canyons the mines are being energetically worked, and making regular bullion shipments, and at Grantsville and Belmont the old workings are being started up, with better promise than usual for a strong and successful season’s work, and permanent future success. In fact all mining operations south of here, in the Toiyabe range, excepting the Victorine mine, at Kingston, are decidedly looking up. Over in Nye county work is being promisingly resumed at various points, and the season generally throughout this section is opening auspiciously.

A GOOD MINE,

Which has been struggling under a cloud, is now being brought out properly at Midas Flat, a couple of miles to the northward of here. It is one of the oldest locations in the county, and is known as the Breen mine. The original locators of it did pretty well at first, but finally starves out and abandoned it. After lying idle for years it was relocated by Breen, who, with his partner, have been working it for the last five or six years. They put up a horse whim to do the hoisting, and occasional good bunches of ore met with have kept them in beans ad bacon, but the ledge was small and unreliable and they had considerable water to contend with, so they could not get rich. Latterly, at the depth of about 150 feet, they developed a very respectable looking ledge, beyond the “breaks,” which shows from a foot to eighteen inches of high-grade antimonial or ruby silver ore, which will mill away up in the hundreds. The other day Breen sold out to a company of capitalists for $20,000, and a strong force of men are now at work enlarging and timbering the shaft, and arranging for steam hoisting works, with a view to working the mine for all it is worth. It promises to develop into a very valuable bit of mining property.

POLITICAL.

What’s the matter with old Ben. Butler? He seems to be getting cranky in his old age, as well as narrow-minded in his ideas. Because we of the Pacific Coast have carried our point in the exclusion of the low-working Chinese, he expresses his desire to do the same in the matter of Irish immigration. Now that he has been made Governor of Massachusetts by the Democratic Irish vote, he coolly says he would like to prevent the landing of any more poor Irish on the sacred wharves of Boston. None but high-toned Chinamen or well-to-do Irishmen will suit the esthetic immigration ideas of the aristocratic Governor of Massachusetts. The chances are that Ben. Butler is at heart a very illiberal American, saturated with the unprogressiveopinion that either Americans or Irish should only rule one country at a time, and be recognized, identified and defined in their allegiance. Perhaps shrewd old Ben. Is deliberately planning to be elected Know-Nothing President of the United States; but he never will be. The Democracy elected him Governor of the old fossilized State of Massachusetts. Perhaps they may continue to admire and indorse the old cock-eyed politician, puffed up with his illiberal American ideas, and keep on voting for him.

SPECULATIVE.

The Digger Indians, over in California, are stated to be predicting a very hot Summer. That may do for the Golden State, but, as stated in one of my recent letters, Colonel Charley, our Piute Wiggins, distinctly and irrevocably states that there will be snow in every month this year. This is a cool and hopefully refreshing assurance for us residents of the sagebrush. Professor Snider incli8nes to the opinion that Charley may not be far from right, and dogmatically recites his original proverb: "Winter still lingers in the lap of Spring.

ALF. DOTEN.

TERRITORIAL ENTERPRISE

Sunday……….May 20, 1883

FROM EASTERN NEVADA.

The Merry Month of May—Church Festivities and Amenities—Hobart’s Boiler Scale Ideas—Base Range Base Ball—The Glory and Obnoxiousness of Wealth—Unportable Dollars—Journalistic Luck—Memorial Day.

[Correspondence of the Enterprise.]

AUSTIN, Nev., May 18, 1883.

"Hail, all Hail, thou merry month of May," should have been written by the author of "Beautiful Snow." Anyhow there has been more merry hail played with the weather during the present month of May than the oldest Austinite ever saw, either before or since the flood. Hail squalls are the order of the day, and three inches of snow the order of each night, to melt or run off or soak in by noon. The soil here takes up water like a sponge, being of a decomposed granite formation, without much clay, therefore it is never muddy two hours after a hailstorm or a flood. Bishop Whitaker, who is paying his annual visit to the various parishes of his diocese in the eastern part of the State, arrived here from Belmont Tuesday evening, and is circulating pleasantly among his Episcopal and other Gentile friends. The ladies of the church had arranged for an elaborate and attractive strawberry and ice cream festival to be given last evening, but postponed it on account of the weather until some time next week. Strawberries are plentiful enough, and bigger than ever before seen here, but the bountiful surplus of hail and snow was too much of a stand-off for the ice cream proposition. Since the departure of Rev. Mr. Eastman for more verdant and nutritious pastures in the East, our handsome little Episcopal church has been without a pastor having been assigned to fill Mr. Eastman’s place, the church will probably remain shut down, so to speak, for the present. It is a good field for a smart and popular preacher.

SCALY SENATORIAL IDEAS.

Hon. W. W. Hobart paid us a flying visit last Friday, to look after some little business matters. Hobart was one of the old timers here, being associated in business with Gridley, the famous Sanitary Flour-sack man, therefore he found a host of friends to shake hands and smile with. He attended the ball of the A. O. H. in the evening and got no sleep, as he left on the morning train. Hobart is happy and prosperous. He makes his headquarters in San Francisco, and is traveling agent for a patent arrangement for preventing scale in boilers. He says it is the biggest thing in America, and he expects to make big money, like John Mackay, during the next year or two. Some of our shrewd political sharps, however, affect to look upon this brief visit from Hobart as having something deeper than boiler scale in its significance; that his boiler scale proposition was merely a blind to conceal sundry political wires he is laying for himself or somebody else, which will be developed in next year’s campaign—perhaps for Jones as United State Senator. Nobody seems to know of any wires or signs of wires laid by him, however, and the chances are that he did not lay any. In fact he declared that he had gone out of politics altogether, and gone in devotedly on boiler scale as a basis of future wealth and fame. He is an experienced newspaper man, but nobody suspected that he had an eye to starting a new daily paper in Austin.

BASE RANGE BASEBALL.

Last year a baseball club from Eureka came and played a big match game with a club of our Austin boys, and returned home to the Base Range badly beaten. The other day a new club from here went over to Eureka, to follow up that victory and scoop up the Base Rangers on their own dunghill, as it were. Latest advices from there, however, are to the effect that our boys got seriously scooped themselves; score 21 to 14. They will ride home nevertheless, and can, no doubt, explain the cause of this strange and unexpected discrepancy in the count. The slag, base metal and furnace-fumed atmosphere of Eureka operate as so many heavy influences, preventing the best players from winning. The Eureka boys had every advantage in being acclimated.

ALMIGHTY DOLLARS.

The most experienced moralists on the subject of the Fair divorce are quite unanimous on the proposition that, had it not been for an overplus of almighty dollars in the family, there would not have been any separation or divorce. They argue that, were it not for those golden millions unexpectedly accumulated, the affections of our Uncle James would not have strayed away from the wife of his less noted and more impecunious days. Those who knew them best, when poor, remember that they got along very happily together, and even in the first developing of their great financial prosperity, domestic happiness and mutual affection reigned within their little family circle. Those who have similarly rolled on Fortune’s wheels into the sphere of unlimited and unexpected wealth may be able to explain and account for such domestic changes, but to most of us it is a consoling as well as powerful argument against getting rich and allowing our better natures to be sordidly or otherwise vitiated, or crushed beneath an overpowering weight of almighty dollars. But the sequel to this domestic romance may be looked for in some future matrimonial alliance, for people who become rich and noted are always the most watched and enviously talked about—another argument against getting rich. And after all, even the richest man in the world ever saw cannot take a cent away when he dies, but has to leave his whole pile for somebody else to enjoy or squander, while he lies beneath their feet, far more helpless and infinitely poorer than when he first came into the world. Here in Austin, recently, an old pioneer died. He was considered poor, but had been a man of public note and respectability, and, although he had no wife and family to care for him in his old age, kind friends provided for his every want, smoothed his way to the mystic beyond, and a large procession followed his remains to the cemetery. When his little box, which he had kept at the bank for safe-keeping, was then opened, instead of containing, as was supposed, merely documents and papers, they found not only a lot of valuable notes and mining stocks, but several hundred dollars in gold coin; in fact, quite a little bonanza for the Public Administrator, or somebody else, to dispose of. The old pioneer had none but an ideal enjoyment of it in life, and left it behind to be a matter of astonishment to his sympathizing friends. Speaking about

LIFE’S CHANGES

And fortunes, I noticed an item in the ENTERPRISE the other day about a remarkable printer, who put by a nickel every time one of his fellow-workmen went out to get a drink, and in the course of a few years found himself a rich man. That reminds us of the newspaper proprietor who had to furnish the nickels every time the printers went out to take a drink. By and by he found himself a poor man and fired out, while every one of those remarkable printers subsequently became newspaper proprietors, or other styles of bonanza men, in various parts of the country.

MEMORIAL DAY,

Or, as many erroneously and not appropriately designate it, Decoration Day, is near at hand, and should be generally observed in proper style. Here in Austin it will be. We have a Post of the Grand Army, and a newly-organized military company, who will observe the day, and there will doubtless be a general turn-out on the occasion, unless the present chronically stormy weather should prevail to a discouraging extent. ALF DOTEN.

TERRITORIAL ENTERPRISE

Sunday……….May 27, 1883

FROM EASTERN NEVADA.

An Old Comstocker in Luck—Jonas Seely’s Bonanza—Nevada’s Undeveloped Wealth and Prosperity—Austin Amenities and a Church Festivity—An Austin Stalwart—The Old Bullion Grinder Again—A Pleasant Matrimonial Consummation.

[Correspondence of the Enterprise.]

AUSTIN, Nev., May 25, 1883.

Jonas Seely, whom we all know, arrived here on Tuesday night’s train, and left next day for Ophir Canyon, about fifty miles to the southward of Austin. There, as heretofore stated, he is a principal owner of the Twin River mine. It is one of the oldest and most famous mining locations in this section, and was formerly known as the Murphy mine. It has yielded large quantities of silver bullion in times past, but through mismanagement its productiveness failed, and it gradually fell into disrepute. About a year ago, through the representations of L. J. Hanchett, a well-posted mining man, Seely and other capitalists in Denver became purchasers of the mine for $20,000. With Hanchett as Superintendent, a new working shaft was started, first class hoisting works erected, the old twenty-stamp mill overhauled, and everything put in good trim for successful future operations before Winter set in. The mine is now yielding handsome returns in the shape of regular bullion shipments—$1,200 or $1,400 every three or four days. Another company of capitalists having secured the Jefferson Canyon mines, some fifteen miles to the southward, a similar yield of bullion is coming in from there for shipment, and the Belmont mines have resumed production and bullion shipments. Thus it will be seen that quite a lively stream of bullion is again flowing from the mining section southward of here, which, added to the regular production of our local mines, brings Austin into strong and increasing prominence as a bullion-shipping point. Seely is taking a look at his mine and will be back in a day or two. He prospered much, financially, in Denver, and has now bought him a vine and fig tree in Oakland, where he will dwell with his little family amid the salubrious sea breezes and fogs, and end his days peacefully and comfortably in full view of the Golden Gate and the broad blue Pacific.

MINERALOGICAL.

People of mining experience and observation are cognizant of the fact that the mineral resources of Nevada, and especially the great eastern portion, are far from being understood or appreciated; indeed, they are merely in the infancy of their development. This section of the State is simply a vast plateau, intersected with numerous isolated ranges of hills and mountains of greater or lesser magnitude, and all of a strongly mineralized character. Good timber is not abundant, and the streams are not large, yet there is sufficient wood and water most anywhere to meet all ordinary demands, and the pasturage is excellent. The pioneers of this State, during the first rush of the silver excitement, scattered themselves prospecting for more Comstock ledges throughout these little mountain ranges and valleys, and they certainly did do a vast amount of prospecting. The result was the discovery of numerous mining localities of various degrees of merit and eligibility, very few of which were properly developed. Therefore it was that those which showed mineral wealth superficially abundant and the easiest got at, like Pioche, White Pine and similar other places, were suddenly brought into brilliant prominence, and as speedily were worked into a decline and comparative obscurity. Scores of little towns and mining settlements sprang into a sort of mushroom existence, and, in turn, were abandoned; yet few were destitute of real merit. Thus it is that the localities mentioned in the commencement of this letter as now producing remuneratively in bullion have passed through their seasons of mismanagement and disrepute to a prosperous certainty. And this will yet be the experience of many others of the old localities. Moreover, the former prospectors, nor those of subsequent days, did not find all the mines, or even explore all the eligible localities by any means. They merely found those which were the most readily accessible, and it still remains for gradually advancing civilization, as it were, to most surely and systematically develop the real mineral wealth of the country. The mines thus far found have mostly been near the main routes of travel through the State, one discovery leading to another. Wherever new routes of travel and new sections are opened, there will new mining discoveries be made. Look at the section now being opened up and developed by the Carson and Colorado Railroad, for instance. And in the not-far distant future another new railroad will pass through the very promising and comparatively unexplored country away south of Eureka, Austin and the old central routes of Overland Travel, and very possibly develop more and better mines than have yet been opened outside of the Comstock. The probabilities in that direction are exceedingly good. Moreover, competitive transportation facilities will give us cheaper living, cheaper materials and appliances for more advantageous working, and many a mine of known value will be worked which is obliged to lie idle now. Throughout Eastern Nevada are many such mines, and not a few can be designated right here in the Reese River section. Nevada has a more prosperous future than most of us, at the present time, squarely anticipate or fairly appreciate.

AUSTIN AMENITIES.

Church affairs occupy a due share of Austin public attention, considerably more than baseball, although balls, dances, surprise parties and similar festivities of an irregular nature are exceedingly well patronized. It is true that the practice games of the baseball club every Sunday are witnessed by many a good, churchgoing Christian, and that some even went with the club on its recent disastrous expedition to Eureka; but it seems requisite to the average Austinite to mix some kind of festivity with his religion, like bitters or wine in his cocktail. Last evening the postponed festival of the Episcopal ladies took place at International Hall. Numerous tables were loaded with strawberries, ice cream, cake and raspberry lemonade, a full string band discoursed the most inspiring music, the prettiest girls in town waited upon the tables, and the weather was delightful; yet, strange as it may seem, this festival was a sad failure, financially, the attendance being decidedly poor. Everything was delicious, and the failure must be attributed to that string band—only that and nothing else.

"Music arose with its voluptuous swell—

Soft eyes looked love to eyes which spoke again," etc.

Yes, there were the fiddles, the clarinet, the bass viol, the piano, and the jolliest, most inspiring dance music; but alas ! no dancing was allowed. It was Hamlet left out of "Hamlet" with a vengeance; Christmas dinner and no turkey; lemonade without sugar. If the music also had been left out it would have been all right, for who wanted to go there to be thus aggravated? The few young fellows and girls who were present hitched around impatiently in their seats, or drummed waltzes and quadrilles with their shoes, tapping time to the music, getting more and more nervous, until finally, one after the other, they all got out and went home exasperated before 11 o'clock. One of the most substantial church-goers in Austin is an old Comstocker. He weighs about 160, and has a voice like Jack Stephens, of Gold Hill. He would like to sing in the choir, but they do not require him. With a proper amount of stops, brakes and governors fixed to him he might do for a church organ, but in solo or chorus he could drown a locomotive or a Washoe mule. And to hear him roar his favorite song of "Meet me there at Heaven’s gate, sweet Belle Mahone," is too snortingly utter for anything—just as though he would be allowed singing around there anyhow. It would be like the famous ram's-horn blast which was blown beneath the walls of Jericho.

ANOTHER RUN.

The mill started up again on Monday morning, after a three weeks' rest, and is pounding and grinding away after its chronic regulation style, with plenty of ore to keep it busy for three or four months or more. The new line shaft, seventy feet in length, with bevel gearing, from the batteries to connect with and run the pan department, works splendidly. As stated in a previous letter, it is in sections of about twelve feet each. It is of the best wrought iron and all its couplings, journal boxes, bevel wheels and other castings, together with the requisite turning, etc., was done at the foundry and machine shop of the company right here in Austin. It is a very substantial, neat and well-finished bit of work and no better can be turned out this side of San Francisco. This mill is a dry crushing establishment and works the ore by the Stedefeldt process, therefore does not rush through so many tons a day as the Comstock mills or wet crushing mills generally. Like the mills of the gods, "it grinds slowly, but grinds exceedingly fine." And it pans out rich.

VALE.

The Widow McWinzle and Professor Snider got married very quietly Tuesday evening and left for Los Angeles next morning, where, in the land of sunshine and flowers and of the vine and fig tree, they will make their future home and be happy drying raisins and raising chickens for a living. The widow, however, has coin enough in bank to keep them both above want. The Professor magnanimously left his big telescope on top of Mount Promethius for our friend Spykens, just to show that he bore no malice and did not wish to triumph over him. As for Spykens himself, he has come in from the hills, now that the widow is married and gone, and feels better, notwithstanding the following, which she sent him as a parting shot:

Conceited Spykens sought to take

His charms away from love and me,

But where those charms did chiefly lay

I’m blessed if I could ever see.

In parting with the Widow McWinzle and Professor Snider Austin society loses heavily, but everybody wishes them well, knowing that what is their gain is our loss.

ALF DOTEN.