Newspaper Clippings - Volume 60 - Volume 62

TERRITORIAL ENTERPRISE

Sunday...............July 18, 1886

A GRAND CLOUDBURST

One of the Genuine Sort and the Heaviest Ever Occurring on the Comstock―A Flushing Deluge― Damages in this City and Gold Hill.

About 4 o'clock yesterday afternoon this city and vicinity was visited by a genuine cloudburst, and the heaviest ever known in this immediate section. The cloud commenced gathering and concentrating from the southward shortly after noon, and advancing in this direction with an evident purpose, as it were.

THE CULMINATION.

After an hour or two of preliminary skirmishing, including a few light pattering showers, the black, heavily massed clouds seemed to crowd themselves against the broad side and summit of old Mount Davidson, and they most certainly did turn their watery contents loose, not in drops but in streams. Such a grand downpouring of water from the clouds has not been witnessed by the oldest inhabitant, although several smaller cloudbursts have been experienced here in times past. The whole eastern and southern side of the mountain was sheeted, so to speak, with water, which came flooding down regardless of water courses upon the city ― gathering of course into the small ravines very concentratively.

SMALL RIVERS

Of muddy turbulence waved down all the cross streets, making them perfectly impassable to pedestrians who had any regard for themselves. The sidewalks were lined with spectators beneath the awnings watching the floods passing from the roofs and wildly coursing down the gutters and flushing the streets and sewers. Hail joined forces with the streaming rain, and at times the streets were actually obscured by the spattering spray. Everybody swore they never saw the like, and sharp lightning and deep cracking thunder emphasized the occasion This sensationally interesting fluvial episode lasted for an hour or so and subsided.

THE DAMAGES.

No buildings were washed away, but great damage was done to many private residences in the upper part of the city by the floods from the mountain side pouring in through the back windows and doors, bringing huge quantities of sand and debris, ruining carpets, furniture, etc., for so sudden was the heavy downpour from the clouds and the consequent rushing floods that there was precious little time for protective preparations. For instance, on South A street the residence of Thos. Keig was injured by the influx of water, mud, etc., to the extent of $250, and those of Robert Gracey, Mitchell and others near by hundreds of dollars more. All carpets, of course, were ruined, and the occupants could only open the front doors and pass the flood out as best they could with brooms, shovels and other utensils. On North B street much similar damage was done in residences, also on Howard and other upper streets as well as in the lower part of the city. Out on South C street, as well as in other parts of the city, business houses had to suffer, and many cellars were filled. In fact it is not easy at the present time to specify individual losses.

IN GOLD HILL

The flood was decidedly heavy, fast and furious. The cloud burst heavily against the head of Bullion Ravine and the deluge concentrated itself rapidly down the steep declivity, through the center of the town, sweeping everything before it, and rolling in dense muddiness over the sidewalks into the stores and houses on either side, as well as attacking the rear of all the dwellings on the hillsides. A small barn was washed down with the flood against the upper side of Miners' Union Hall, which, together with the accompanying debris, pressed the whole side of the building in about a foot, and two or three feet of sand and mud covered the floor. The residences of Mrs. Brown and others, near by, were similarly flooded and the occupants driven to seek safety elsewhere. The railroad track at that point was also deeply covered, employing a strong force of men to clear it off for the passage of trains. The dwellings of James Butterly and Mike Crane, in Crown Point Ravine, and James Livingston, on Main street, near the Catholic Church, were badly flooded and damaged. Much damage was done to flumes and roads further down the canyon, and doubtless at Silver City and Dayton; also, down Six-mile Canyon,

INCIDENTAL.

It is stated that the Petaluma mill, Lower Gold Hill was struck by lightning, knocking the chemical department wild, and sending a whole load of sodium crackling, sputtering and blazing down the stream that poured through the works.

The men were hoisted out of the Crown Point, Belcher and Kentuck mines, and the shafts and buldings placed on a war footing against the flood. Work continued suspended in these mines during last night.

About the time the greatest force of the cloudburst flood was subsiding a man with a four horse load of wood came driving down C street. At the crossing of Taylor street his off hind wheel dropped ito a wash hole and caved, letting the whole load over. Much of the wood washed off nearly down to D street, but he managed to save it all, and when the storm subsided he got another wheel, reloaded and drove on.

The heavy stone bulkhead of the Ophir toll road, crossing Crown Point ravine, Gold Hill, gave way for about fifty feet, and a strong force of men was put to work at once repairing it,

Owing to a heavy washout carrying away a portion of the railroad near the Julia mining works, and a slide of the Imperial dump upon the road, the regular Reno express and passenger train did not leave this city until 7 o'clock, yet it made up time and made connection at Reno with the west-bound Central Pacific train. The local passenger train from Reno arrived at 9:30 o'clock, having waited at Mound House for the down train.

The cloudburst was confined wholly to the Comstock, the rain, flood and trouble not extending southward beyond American Flat or much north of this city.

TERRITORIAL ENTERPRISE

Sunday..............February 21, 1886

A BIRTHDAY OVATION.

Hon. C. C. Stevenson Becomes Sixty Years Old and Receives a Surprise Party.

Yesterday, C. C. Stevenson, whom we all now and have known as one of the most prominent and substantial mining and milling and generally public man on the Comstock for numerous years, attained his sixtieth birthday. This is nothing particularly remarkable in the history of men, but on this particular occasion, in addition to the kind little family remembrances from his children and family connections, came something from the outside, as it were, very substantial and acceptable, of the personal and popular testimonial order, and of a true spontaneous character, such as is seldom accorded to any man in this peculiar section of the world. Some of the employees in his long-continued mining and milling operations got their heads together and concluded to give him a genuine surprise party on this special occasion, and they did succeed most admirably.

About 7 o'clock in the evening there was a gathering at the Kentuck mine, in Gold Hill, of which Mr. Stevenson has been so long successful manager. This gathering was of the miners and employees of the mine, who laid down their picks and other implements of mining and mechanical warfare, and came off shift for a purpose. And they were joined, aided and abetted in this purpose by a few friends from the outside who had been admitted into the secret. Forming into procession to the number of about a hundred, accompanied by Cara's brass band from this city, they marched down from the Kentuck mine to Stevenson's residence, in Lower Gold Hill―the distance of just one mile―under the Chief Marshalship of Ed Conrad, with Eric O. Leermo as Assistant Marshal. They had plenty of lanterns along, but everything was kept dark and quiet till they arrived close in front of the house. There the band turned the music of their big horns loose, and pretty soon Stevenson came out on the porch to see about this strange commotion. He was met by all hands, and there was an exchange of [illegible] when a representative committee, with John F. McDonell as spokesman, stepped forward and presented him ―with an elegant massive silver fruit dish, gold-lined and of beautiful design, worth $150. The presentation speech of Mr. McDonell was as follows:

On behalf of the foreman and the miners of the Kentuck mind, I feel great pleasure in presenting to you this silver souvenir on this, the sixtieth anniversary of your birthday, not for its intrinsic value, but as a mark of the high estimation in which you are held by us.

Your many acts of disinterested kindness, and sterling good qualities of head and heart, hav won for you the respect and admiration, not only of the people of Storey county, but that of the whole State of Nevada. To yourself the people of this community owe a debt of gratitude, from the business standpoint, as a matter of fact. To your indomitable will and spirit of perseverance is due the truth that low-grade ore mining on the Comstock has been brought to a successful issue. Many years ago, under singular disadvantages, you commenced operations on low-grade ore in the old Empire mine, and, contrary to the oft repeated assertions of mining experts of those days, you succeeded by your superior business tact and unerring judgment of ores, in making this a paying proposition.

A few years ago your attention was called to the Kentuck mine―then an abandoned claim―and in the course of a few months under the magic touch of your master hand, you made the "Little Kentuck" the only dividend-paying mine on the Comstock lode, Your success in mining and milling low-grade ores has ushered in a new era on the Comstock. Fired by the fame of your achievements the Crown Point, Belcher, Yellow Jacket, Overman, Consolidated California and Virginia, Ophir and a number of other mines in Virginia District, followed in the wake of your pioneer footsteps, and to-day hundreds of families revere your name among the good and great as the primal cause of untold blessings to them and the whole Pacific Coast.

Your superior intellectual and business qualifications have called you, at the hands of the people of Nevada, to occupy very high positions of trust and honor, and your discharge of those duties has invariably been marked by the brilliant polish of consummate skill, coupled with the genuine spirit of the man.

Your career of long years on the Comstock has been a noble, just and generous one, and I feel safe in saying there is not a man, woman or child with the limits of the State of Nevada that does not breathe your name with pride and gratitude.

In conclusion, we wish yourself and your estimable wife many long and days of love, peace and prosperity, and that your days may be prolonged to the utmost limits allotted to man, you promote human progress in the future as yon have done in the past. Feeling assured the long line of progeny you will then leave behind you will never fail to do honor to your name, therefore, on behalf of the foreman and the miners of the Kentuck mine, allow me to present to you this silver souvenir as a token of our esteem and kindest wishes for your welfare in the future, as well as to extend the hand of friendship and neighborly congratulations to you and yours on this, the attainment of your sixtieth birthday. May the coming years be to you a sea of happiness, crowned with peace, plenty and pleasure.

Stevenson, being completely taken by surprise in the matter, had no set speech to make in reply. He said he could hardly claim all the credit so generously given him in the low-grade proposition. He had simply done what he could in the matter, as his own best judgment dictated, and his success had been achieved with the assistance of the men present before him, some of whom had been in his employ in Gold Hill for twenty years. His wife had merely told him that "the children' were coming down to see him this evening, and here now he found them. He cordially invited all hands to come in and accept the hospitalities of his house.

And they did proceed forthwith to crowd in and fully invade the premises, with the additional assistance of delegations from the Douglass and Rock Point mills, belonging to Stevenson, the entire force amounting to nearly 150 men, to say nothing of members of the family, grandchildren and lady and gentlemen personal friends already there from Virginia and Gold Hill. Cake and wine, cigars, etc., were disposed of wholesale in the back room, and appropriate toasts and sentiments were indulged in as well. No one wished Stevenson to live less than twice as long as he had, and one toaster "hoped he might live till he longed to die."

Then came a cane presentation by the employees of the two mills above mentioned, E. L. Buckingham making the presentation speech, which, of course, was appropriately responded to by the happy recipient. It is a fine straight-grained stick of mountain mahogany, or something like it, with a massive golden head of Comstock gold, set with a beautiful specimen of gold quartz from Grass Valley, California. It is elegantly chased, and inscribed as follows: "Presented to C. C. Stevenson on his sixtieth birthday, as a token of esteem, from his mill employees. Gold Hill, February 20, 1886." In receiving this beautiful and appropriate present, Stevenson feelingly acknowledged his appreciation thereof and "hoped to God he would never need to use it."

But we must not forget to make special mention of the magnificent cake also presented by the Kentuck miners. It is a large, frosted wedding cake, with a statehouse or church cupola of candy rising three feet above it, surmounted by a beautiful basket of white, frosted flowers. Around its base is the inscription: "Compliments of the Kentuck miners to C. C. Stevenson, on the occasion of his sixtieth birthday." Seldom is such a cake to be seen anywhere. It is sloop-rigged above deck, with broad sails on every side, insuring a fair wind from some direction.

Among the other personal presents was a fine large book of art engravings and select poems from Mrs. C. C. Stevenson, entitled "The Last Leaf," by Oliver Wendell Holmes; a beautifully bound volume of Scott's poems, from Mr. and Mrs. Parish; a massive gold toothpick, from Mr. and Mrs. Frank Huffaker; a plush shaving set, from Lew Stevenson, and a handsome case of playing cards, from Harry and Leon Stevenson―two of his grandchildren.

The musical and literary exercises of the occasion were very pleasing and very materially contributed to by Mrs. Huffaker, who sang some beautiful sentimental songs and some exceedingly comical ones, which drew forth the very hearty applause, accompanying herself on the piano, Richard Rale also sang a fine ballad or so. John F. O'Donell gave in most excellent style the difficult recitation of "The Bells;" also Hamlet's soliloquy, "To be or not to be." F. M. Huffaker appropriately responded to the toast, "The Occasion," and Eric O. Leermo being called upon made some well-timed and appropriate remarks. J. F. McDonell returned the hearty thanks of the miners for the right royal reception and entertainment they had enjoyed, and Mrs. Huffaker sang and played "Home, Sweet Home," in which the entire assemblage joined. The band passed out in front of the house and played a parting piece, and everybody took kindly leave of their well pleased, happy and hospitable host and hostess.

Never was there a more successful and thoroughly enjoyable impromptu gathering than this, and Stevenson has perfect right to be exceedingly proud of it.

A STOVEPIPE CALAMITY.

All From Not Being Properly Wired and secured―A Hot and Lively Episode.

One cold night not long ago, Spykens, who rooms in a big brick building on O street, made a nice coal fire in his little stove and warmed his feet before going to bed. He also made a nice pot of tea, drank a cup or two and left the pot on the stove. Then he rolled comfortably into his bed. He had just commenced to snore regularly when he was suddenly awakened by a terrible crash. Out he bounded, landing with his bare feet on the long hot stovepipe which lay on the floor, inducing some vigorous words about sheon-fire and His Satanic Majesty. The room was filling with smoke and gas so he jerked down the upper sash of his window, lighted a lamp, grabbed a couple of towels to protect his hands and tried to get that twelve-foot stovepipe up where it belonged. But it was crippled by its fall and inclined to part in the middle.

By cautious manipulation he had almost got the elbow into the hole up near the ceiling, when one front leg of the stove dropped out, and over came the stove, dumping the red-hot coals onto the floor, together with the pot of hot tea. Spykens dropped the pipe, yelped out a religious remark, danced a short war dance, then grabbed a pail of water and dashed it over the coals, shouting, "First water for Fours, Yi, Yi!"―he used to belong to the old Volunteer Fire Department, and wanted to be on a long ladder, rescuing women and children from the upper windows, He imagined he heard groans of somebody dying amid the ruins, but it was only the next roomer snoring. "Sleeping ! is he? exclaimed the exasperated Spykens. Confound him, let him burn up." But the fire was out.

Then he rushed through the dimly-lighted hall after a step-latter, and on turning a corner his old nightshirt caught onto something which tore it nearly all off except the upper part and the sleeves. Just beyond, at the head of the stairs, he met a printer coming up to bed That terrified compositor turned and fled, firmly assured that he had seen a ghost or old Jimmy Squarefoot himself, it took several drinks at a down-town saloon to brace up his shattered nerves, and he got roaring drunk, and staid so the next day, and the foreman had to put on a "sub" at his case.

Spykens found the ladder, placed it in position, and was carefully raising that stovepipe on end when it broke in two amidships, and the upper portion banged down across his head and shook about a peck of soot all over him. Then he wished the spirit of his old father, who used to be a sea captain, could only be there a few minutes to suggest some appropriate remarks. He looked in the glass and didn't know himself from a charcoal peddler or a Digger Indian in mourning costume. But that stovepipe had to go up anyhow, and it went up in two pieces, fished or splinted in the middle with a bootjack, a walking-stick, the fire poker and some string. It took him the rest of the night to clean up, and the first tinner he could find in the morning was given a contract for a new stovepipe, which is braced and wired up so elaborately that nothing short of an earthquake can tumble it down.

TERRITORIAL ENTERPRISE

Sunday...............May 2, 1886

PACIFIC COAST PIONEERS.

Meeting Last Evening―Memorial Sentiments Adopted on the Death of Dr. Volney E. Spalding.

An adjourned regular meeting of the Society of Pacific Coast Pioneers was held last evening at their hall on B street. President Storer was n the chair, and a lively interest manifested by the entire assemblage.

After the usual routine of business was gone through with, the special committee, consisting of Alf Doten, James Delavan and Lee McGown, appointed at the last regular meeting, submitted the following:

MEMORIAL SENTIMENTS:

Again his death removed from earthly companionship a member of this society. Thus, one after the other, with ripened years, we pass away, and those who remain commemoratively record and cherish kindly remembrances of those who successively leave for the great unknown eternity, whither so many of our brother pioneers have preceded us.

The members of this society, with deep feelings of pleasure and respect, will always continue to remember Brother Spalding, his many genial and good qualities of mind and heart, and his long-time connection with us amid the episodes of life as a Pacific Coast Pioneer.

Most sincerely do we all, in true pioneer fraternity toward our deceased brother, tender our heartfelt condolence with his widow and surviving relatives in their sad bereavement.

On motion, this report of the committee was unanimously adopted, ordered to be entered upon the records of the society, and a copy to be forwarded to the widow of the deceased.

Adjourned until the next regular meeting.

TERRITORIAL ENTERPRISE

Sunday....................May 2, 1886

THE HILL MURDER.

A Letter From the Brother of the Victim―Latest Developments in the Dark Mystery―Assistance Required to Bring the Guilty to Justice.

The following letter from William H. Hill, insurance agent, formerly of this city, and brother of Cornelius A. B. Hill, who was foully and deliberately robbed and murdered at a deserted building in Spring Valley, a mile or two south of Silver City, April 9, 1867, will be read with interest by all who remember the circumstances of the mysterious and brutal tragedy. Most certainly all offers of reward made at that time should be renewed, and every assistance rendered to bring the guilty to long-avoided justice:

VACAVILLE, Cal., April 25, 1886.

EDITOR ENTERPRISE: I was somewhat surprised to see in your issue of the 11th the article headed "Murder Will Out," and yet for the past ten months had expected the circumstance might gain publicity, notwithstanding the fact that we have avoided it as much as possible, believing for the present it would rather avert than assist in accomplishing our end. But since the matter has been given to the public, it is perhaps as well it should be so. I will now relate the most recent developments in this the most brutal murder that was ever perpetrated in your State, the date being April 9, 1867. Many of the old residents still there will well remember the feeling of the people, and that the whole community then and for a long time was aroused, and although nineteen years have elapsed I still believe that much of the same feeling exists, and that a helping hand would be tendered to bring the guilty parties to justice.

We all remember the trial of Day and De Soto, which terminated in their acquittal at the time, and still many believe them guilty. If for no other reason than to remove that cloud from them, the people among which our whole family spent the best part of their lives should still interest themselves in the matter, and I believe they will. Your files at that time will show that several thousands of dollars reward were offered, among which was $1,000 by Governor Blasdel in behalf of the State. The question now is, Does that reward still hold good, or can it not be resuscitated? Neither the writer nor any remaining member of the family have the requisite means to work the case up, which will require time and money. I am still determined, and it is the main object of my life, to bring the guilty parties to justice. I ask any man how he would feel were he satisfied that the man who participated in the cold-blooded murder of his brother was living in ease in his community, etc., and all that was required was the means to bring him to justice. This can be done, but, as before stated, there must be some assurance of recompense to those who would take it in hand, and it will require considerable difficult work.

The new developments of the case are as follows: Last June I received letters that justified me in making investigations. I made two trips to the section, spending considerable time, and gathered sufficient information to satisfy myself as to the guilty parties. Your article is correct in stating "that one confessed." He did so in his cell the night before his execution. His confession was taken down in writing but suppressed. I have exerted every means, both by personal interview and appealing letters, to get it, but it seems it cannot be found. To the party who wrote this confession down (now a deputy peace officer) together with the chief officer I related the whole case, and here I found my first obstacle. I failed to get any encouragement, as they were either unable or unwilling to render any assistance. I then wrote to the Governor of Nevada regarding the reward, for I found to accomplish anything it would be necessary to place the matter in the hands of a detective.

Under date of August 18, 1885, I received a responsive letter from the Governor, saying: "The opinion of the Attorney General is that the reward only remains in effect during the term of the Governor by whom it was offered." If this decision is correct and final, I ask that, in order to avenge this murder, that the reward be renewed, or some assurance given to an attorney or detective to work it up. The information which I possess should lead to bringing the guilty to justice. Yours, respectfully,

WILLIAM H. HILL.