“Half of it?” fairly shrieked the owner of the Saratoga.[Saratoga.]
“Yes, marm; half to-morrow and the rest of it next day or the day after.”
“Why, how in the name of common sense can they bring half of it?”
“Well, when I left they were sawing it in two, and—”
“Sawing it in two! Sawing my trunk in two?”
“That was what I said,” coolly answered Monk. “Two men had a big cross-cut saw, and were working down through it—had got down about to the middle, I think.”
“Sawing my trunk in two in the middle!” groaned the lady. “Sawing it in two and all my best clothes in it! God help the man that saws my trunk!—God help him I say!” and in a flood of tears and a towering passion she rushed indoors, threatening the hotel-keeper, the stage-line, the railroad company, the town of Carson, and the State of Nevada with suits for damages. It was in vain that she was assured that there was no truth in the story of the sawing—that she was told that Monk was a great joker—she would not believe but that her trunk had been cut in two until it arrived intact; even then she had first to examine its contents most thoroughly, so strongly had the story of the sawing impressed itself on her mind. Monk’s “Saratoga” joke is still remembered and told at Lake Tahoe, but the ladies all say that they can’t see that there is “one bit of fun in it.”
Just here I may say that when at Carson City, by taking the cars of the Virginia and Truckee Railroad to Virginia City, the “big bonanza” and all of the big mines, and mills on the Comstock lode may be seen and explored. The distance is but twenty-one miles.
In passing down the Carson River by rail, the tourists will see a number of water-mills that are at work on silver ores, and after leaving the river, and beginning the ascent of the mountain to Virginia, he will see many miles of the crookedest railroad in the world. Were these wonderful silver-mines in Chili and Peru, all Americans who found themselves anywhere within five hundred miles of them would visit and examine them, even though obliged to bribe a dozen squads of guards in order to attain their object; but being here on American soil, where they may be reached in a ride of three hours by rail from the main line of travel, few take the trouble to visit them. Ladies, as well as gentlemen, may visit and explore the mines, even to the lowest of the lower levels.
Travellers may leave the Central Pacific Railroad at Reno, take the Virginia and Truckee Railroad and run up to Virginia City, examine the mines and mills, return to Carson City and take the stage-line to Lake Tahoe, cross the lake on a steamer, then take another line of stages, nine miles, to Truckee, on the line of the Central Pacific again, when the journey to San Francisco may be resumed.