RESPECTFULLY INSCRIBED.

PREFACE.

I have put all I had to say into the body of this book; but, being informed that a preface is a necessary evil, I have written this one.

The Author.

List of Illustrations.[A]

——————●——————

PAGE.
Gold Hill[Frontispiece]
1.Consolidated Virginia Mine[do.]
2.Kit Carson[21]
3.“Old Virginia” and His Rocker[28]
4.Tee Princess Sarah Winnemucca[30]
5.Jacob Job’s Little Game[31]
6.Gold Diggings In 1859[44]
7.Comstock Discovering Silver[50]
8.An Arastra[58]
9.Naming Virginia City[58]
10.Eureka Mills Carson River[67]
11.Comstock’s Affinity[76]
12.Return of Comstock’s Wife[76]
13.H. T. P. Comstock[85]
14.The Happy Breakfast[92]
15.O’Riley and His Gun[97]
16.Guided by Spirits[98]
17.Encouraged by Revelations[101]
18.The Last Blast[101]
19.Bound for Washoe[103]
20.D—n Washoe[103]
21.Business[105]
22.Good Morning[107]
23.Going In[108]
24.Change of Mind[108]
25.Coming Back[108]
26.Bustin’ the Injunction[110]
27.Savages[126]
28.Timbering the Mines[137]
29.“Hold up Your Hands”[151]
30.A Bonanza of Beef[151]
31.Hoisting Works[165]
32.Three Famous Mines[167]
33.Waste Rock Dumps of the Chollar-Potosi, Savage, Hale, and Norcross Mines[171]
34.The Burning Mine[180]
35.Office of the Consolidated Virginia Mines[190]
36.Accidents in the Mines[203]
37.The Pilgrim’s Lodgings[213]
38.Virginia City[214]
39.Miss Virginia Tilton[217]
40.Country and City[220]
41.Dump-piles of Hale and Norcross Mines[223]
42.Wood and Water[227]
43.Rhode Island Mill Gold Hill[222]
44.Residence of Hon J. P. Jones222
45.Gold Hill Looking North[237]
46.Lumbering on Lake Tahoe[241]
47.Capture of Perkins[251]
48.Execution of Perkins[251]
49.Indian Hunter and Squaws[261]
50.Winnemucca—Chief of the Piutes[267]
51.Prince Natchez[270]
52.The Story of the Cave[275]
53.Shrimps[285]
54.An Indian Encampment[291]
55.Grinding Axes[295]
56.Consolidated Virginia Hoisting Works[299]
57.Hoisting Cage[300]
58.Hoisting Cars and Cages in Silver Mines[305]
59.Diagram Showing Height of Mines[325]
60.Merrimac Mill, Carson River[333]
61.Loading Silver Ore Consolidated Virginia Mines[337]
62.First Quartz[Quartz] Mine in Nevada[342]
63.Quartz[Quartz] Mill—Amalgamating Room[342]
64.Hoisting Works[349]
65.The Trial of Skill[363]
66.The Scared Bully[379]
67.“The Heathen[Heathen] Chinee”[389]
68.Scanning the Bulletin[403]
69.Funny Incidents[408]
70.The Secret[411]
71.Views at Lake Tahoe[414]
72.Nick-of-the-Woods[416]
73.Hank Monk[416]
74.Donner Lake[422]
75.Summit of the Sierras[422]
76.Winter Among the Mountains[424]
77.Song of the Honest Miner[433]
78.At Work and at Home[441]
79.Miners’ Union Hall[441]
80.The Hottest Place[449]
81.Miners’ Battles[455]
82.Surroundings[477]
83.The Missing Well Bottom[503]
84.The Man-Eater[508]
85.John Mackey[516]
86.Hon. Wm. Sharon[520]
87.James G. Fair[524]
88.Capt. Samuel Curtis[527]
89.Hon. J. P. Jones[531]
90.The Slapjack Feat[538]
91.The Story of Pike and Tom[549]
CHAPTER I.
THE FIRST SETTLERS IN NEVADA.
Facts and Fiction—How the Rivers are Lost—Unwelcome Visitors—The Washoes—Taking in the Pilgrims. [17]
CHAPTER II.
THE SEARCH FOR GOLD.
“Washing”—Celestials at the Diggings—Original Papers—Primitive Amusements—Jacob Job’s little Game—A Delusion and a Snare. [26]
CHAPTER III.
ADVENTURES OF EARLY PROSPECTORS.
The Mysterious Brothers—What was found in a Shaft—Pike’s Great Discovery—“Stuff they Make Compasses of”—Wonderful travelling Stones. [33]
CHAPTER IV.
WHAT THEY DISCOVERED.
“That Blasted Blue Stuff”—“Old Pancake”—A Discovery—John Bishop’s Story—Unearthly Treasure. [39]
CHAPTER V.
Discovery of the Great Comstock—What they threw Away—Old Pancake Arrives—Questionable Rights—Sold and “Sold”—Locking up “Old Virginia.” [47]
CHAPTER VI.
THE DISCOVER OF[DISCOVER OF] SILVER.
“Old Pancake’s” Weakness—Naming the town—An Astounding Disclosure—Going to the Diggings—A Grand Discovery. [55]
CHAPTER VII.
REMINISCENCES OF EARLY MINING-DAYS.
The Old Record Book—Strange Notices—Curious Houses—A Modern Robinson Crusoe—Before the World—Mills and Arastras. [61]
CHAPTER VIII.
THE FATE OF DISCOVERERS.
Thieves in the Camp—An Unpleasant[Unpleasant] Joke—Sales of Mining Property—Smelting on a Small Scale—What they Got from the Furnaces. [70]
CHAPTER IX.
COMSTOCK’S MATRIMONY.
“Old Pancake” Courting—Catching a Runaway Wife—Women and Mischief—Always the Same—Winnie and his Wife—Seeking a New Bonanza. [77]
CHAPTER X.
COMSTOCK’S LETTER.
“Old Pancake’s” Story—Roughing It—The Fate of Old Virginia—Ole Comstock Dead—A Man who drank but Little. [82]
CHAPTER XI.
OLD VIRGINIA AND HIS STORIES.
Prospecting for a dinner—A Skunk Story—O’Riley’s Mistake—A Duel: Curious Consequences—Flight of the Victor—O’Riley and his Gun. [89]
CHAPTER XII.
MISLED BY THE SPIRITS.
The Great Oil-Tank—An Untapped Reservoir—Going in and Coming out—Experiences of those who Stayed—Approach of Spring—“Zephyrs” and Avalanches—A Rather long Night—Queer Incidents [100]
CHAPTER XIII.
EARLY MINING.
“Bring out your Injunction”—Testing Ores for Gold—Testing Ores for Silver—A Fire Assay—Valuable Donkeys—The Washoe “Canary” [109]
CHAPTER XIV.
MIGRATION ON A LARGE SCALE.
The Migratory Instinct—The Piute War—Battle of Pyramid Lake—Second Expedition—The Survivors of the Slaughter [116]
CHAPTER XV.
TROUBLE WITH THE INDIANS.
An Unlucky Dutchman—Skirmishing—An Appeal to Indian Justice—After the Scalps—Old Gus,[Gus,] and his “Injun.” [121]
CHAPTER XVI.
STATE OF SOCIETY.
Organization Begun—In Search of the Gold—Fighting Sam Brown—The Knife and the Pistol—Pugnacious Periods. [128]
CHAPTER XVII.
EARLY COMSTOCK MINING OPERATIONS.
In the Heart of the Bonanza—Inside the Mine—Extraordinary Experiments—“Process Peddlers” and their Devices—The Value of Tailings—Neat way of making Rings—Waste[Waste] of Gold and Silver [133]
CHAPTER XVIII.
LOSS OF THE PRECIOUS METALS.
Floating Treasure—Where the Quicksilver Goes—An Unanswered Question—Floating Away [143]
CHAPTER XIX.
THE SOCIAL ASPECT OF THE TERRITORY.
Footpads on the “Divide”—Attacking a Dutchman—Mysterious Disappearances—Search for the Missing—A Bonanza of Beef—Where did they go to? [146]
CHAPTER XX.
THE MOUNTAIN REGION OF NEVADA.
Providing for his Friends—The Sierra Nevada Mountains—The Ascent of Mount Davidson—An Eclipse—Going Back to the City—A Majestic Scene. [154]
CHAPTER XXI.
THE SIERRAS.
How the Fissures were Formed—Formation of Quartz and Ores—How the Comstock Vein was Found—Disagreeable “Pinching”—Never Discouraged. [160]
CHAPTER XXII.
BONANZA AND BORRASCA.
Sales of Stock—A Day’s Vicissitudes—Speculations—An Infallible Maxim—Mr. Frank’s Devices—Nada Bonanza. [165]
CHAPTER XXIII.
HOW THE MINES ARE WORKED.
Hoisting the “Giraffe”—Deserted Shafts—Perilous[Perilous] Ways and Dark Places—What they saw in the Night—Rather Astonished—Poisoned. [170]
CHAPTER XXIV.
FIREDAMP.—A MINE IN FLAMES.
Yellow-Jacket Mine in a Blaze—A Scene of Horror—The Victims Subduing the Flames—The Work of Destruction—Scenes at the Mouth of the Shaft—On Fire for three Years—Missing Men. [176]
CHAPTER XXV.
DEATH IN THE MINE.
Explosions of Firedamp—How Gas is formed in the Mines—Searching for the Dead—What the Giant-powder Did—The Inquest, and the Dead—Carelessness of the Miners. [186]
CHAPTER XXVI.
DESTRUCTION OF THE BELCHER SHAFT.
Progress of the Flames—Descending the Burning Shaft—Danger—A Cave in the Mine—Deluge of Fire—Courage of the Men—Still Burning—A Warm Comparison—The Centre of the Earth. [191]
CHAPTER XXVII.
WAR IN THE MINE.
Smoking out the Enemy—The Early days of Washoe—Amiable Miners—The Kossuth and the Alhambra—Causes of Fear—A Little Mischief—Burnt Rags. [197]
CHAPTER XXVIII.
A CHAPTER OF ACCIDENTS.
The Adventures of Four Miners—Fixed—A Struggle for Life—Dangerous Playthings—Exploding with a Scratch—Those little Copper Cylinders—Loss of Noses and Thumbs. [201]
CHAPTER XXIX.
MINING FATALITIES.
Tumbling down Two Thousand Feet—Blown to Atoms—A Singular Accident—Automatic Safety—Origin of Accidents—The Pilgrim in a Coffin—Shuffling out the “Corpse”. [208]
CHAPTER XXX.
TOWNS OF THE BIG BONANZA.
The First-born of Virginia City—A Comical Newspaper-Office—Growing like Mushrooms—A little Picture[Picture]—Among the Rubbish-Dumps—Big Loads—“See for Yourselves.” [215]
CHAPTER XXXI.
RAILROAD[RAILROAD] LINES.
Travelling in a Circle—Through the Six Tunnels—Crooked Roads—Side-tracks and Other Devices—The Way the Iron Horse Goes—The Men on the Line—Timed by Telegraph. [227]
CHAPTER XXXII.
AN ENGINEERING TRIUMPH.
Spring Business—Tapping the Hills—Dams Constructed—What Mr. Shussler Did—The Big Water-Pipe—Testing the Siphon—Great Rejoicings—The Work Completed. [231]
CHAPTER XXXIII.
HOW WOOD IS CUT IN THE SIERRAS.
The Forests of the Mountains—A Daring Leap—The Rafts on Lake Tahoe—Descending the Flumes—Vanishing Forests—Coal Deposits of Nevada. [238]
CHAPTER XXXIV.
THE “SIX HUNDRED AND ONE.”
A Mysterious Society—Afraid—Led forth to Death—The fate of Perkins—“Another Man Gone”—Kirk’s Fate—Venturing too Far—“You see he Stayed.” [247]
CHAPTER XXXV.
THE WASHOE ZEPHYR.
An Unpleasant Breeze—“Sleep no More”—A Jackass on the Wing—Weird Scenes—The Artist’s Soul—Light and Shade—Mountain Scenery—The Giants of the Sierras. [255]
CHAPTER XXXVI.
THE RED PROPRIETORS.
The Piutes and the other Reds—A Strange Pair—Old Winnemucca—The Woman who made the Indians—The Indians’ Ancestress—The Piute Brave—Big Injuns. [259]
CHAPTER XXXVII.
WINNEMUCCA AND HIS BRAVES.
On the War-path—An Interview with the Chief—A White Indian—Captain Truckee—John’s Funeral Oration—The “Princess.” Sarah. [266]
CHAPTER XXXVIII.
SKETCHES OF INDIAN LIFE.
Juan’s Spanish Speculation—The Devil’s Visit to Earth—Cooking the Sage—What was It?—Piute Theology—Poco Tiempo—“Plenty Old”—Jim and his Ducks. [272]
CHAPTER XXXIX.
CONCERNING “LO” AND HIS FAMILY.
A Little Warrior in a Fix—Only a Shrimp—Piutes in Virginia City—The Lord and His Lady—How the Little Ones Came—The Early Settler—Adam and Eve—A Model Parent—An Important Occasion—Sam’s Theft. [282]
CHAPTER XL.
A VISIT TO THE MINES.
Above Ground—Suspicious Attacks—How the Cage is Worked—Great Responsibility—Cages, Reels, and Cables—Comical Disguises. [293]
CHAPTER XLI.
DESCENDING IN THE SAFETY-CAGE.
Our Conductor—Downward—Unpleasant Possibilities—Safety—A Blessed Inventor—The Price of Stock—Vasquez and His Friends—The Carman. [301]
CHAPTER XLII.
BELOW THE SURFACE.
Tumbling down a Chute—Timbering a Mine—Taking Samples—What the “Giraffe” can Carry—Gnomes of the Mine—Troglodytes—What is “Sumpf?” [310]
CHAPTER XLIII.
CURIOSITIES OF VENTILATION.
Draughts and Drifts—Machinery of the Lower-Levels—Southward Currents—Use of Compressed Air—Industrious little Engines. [317]
CHAPTER XLIV.
UNDERGROUND BUSINESS ARRANGEMENTS.
Changing Shifts—A Shift-Boss’s Report—Useful Items—Modern Troglodytes—Shirtless but Hot—Fights and Factions. [322]
CHAPTER XLV.
GHOST-HAUNTED SHAFTS.
Rats—Unwelcome Visitors—Chasing the Ghost—Cornered. [329]
CHAPTER XLVI.
EXTRACTING SILVER FROM THE ORE.
The Reduction-Works—Working the Machinery—The Batteries—Preparing the Ore—The Amalgamating-Room—Two Processes. [336]
CHAPTER XLVII.
ASSAYS OF THE SILVER BULLION.
How Quicksilver Vanishes—Charging the Retorts—Ladling out the Molten Silver—How Assays are Made—Results. [346]
CHAPTER XLVIII.
SALOON-BIRDS.
Big Eaters—Recognizing Murphy—A Nice Little Supper—What he Did with his Gun—“A Devil of a Time”—“A Nice Agreeable Gentleman.” [354]
CHAPTER XLIX.
SOME VERY QUEER CUSTOMERS.
A trifling Accident—Blazer and His Friends—A Little Misunderstanding—“Couldn’t Drink Alone”—“I’ll bring in the Rabble”—The Deacon Sent For—Resurrection!—“Awful big Gooses.” [362]
CHAPTER L.
ORIGINAL CHARACTERS.
A Fuddled Pillar—Philosophical Advice—“Don’t Git Married Afferd”— Mr. Jones’s Guest—The War-hoss of the Hills—Something of a Fighter—Beating a Retreat—“Jim Carter or the Devil.” [371]
CHAPTER LI.
THE “HEATHEN CHINEE.”
A Strange Mixture of Duties—Wicked Mongolian Tricks—’Melican and Chinaman Compared—A Ghostly Difference—Restless Spirits. [382]
CHAPTER LII.
CHINESE OPIUM-DENS.
How they Smoke the Drug—Babel—Street-Scenes in Virginia City—Voices of the People—Hard Cash—The Grasshopper Man. [388]
CHAPTER LIII.
HOW FORTUNES ARE MADE AND LOST.
Bulls and Bears—Doings of the Brokers—On a Margin—“Pussy-Cat Wilde” and “Bobtaile”—Going Up!—Dealers and Dabblers. [397]
CHAPTER LIV.
CURIOUS SPECULATIONS IN STOCK.
Old Joe’s Disaster—A New Excitement—Sharp Doings—“The Greatest Buy on the Lead”—A Lady’s Speculation. [405]
CHAPTER LV.
HOLIDAYS AND FUN.
Romantic Scenery—A Curious Freak of Nature—Lake Tahoe—Hank Monk—He Couldn’t tell a Lie—Practical Joking—The Summit. [413]
CHAPTER LVI.
TERRIBLE STORY OF THE DONNERS.
Donner Lake—Lost in the Snow—A Horrible Scene—What became of the Donners—The Sulphur Springs—The Golden State. [420]
CHAPTER LVII.
TRACES OF THE TRICKSY MINER.
A Neat little Game—What Doubting Thomas Found—“Doctoring” a Tape-line—Devices of an Honest Man—What a Stockholder Found. [427]
CHAPTER LVIII.
THE PARADISE OF BOGUS MINERS.
“Me Ketch um There”—Doings of the Roving Miner—The “Goddess of Poverty”—The Bully Honest Miner. [432]
CHAPTER LIX.
PAY-DAY AT THE MINES.
Among the Employés—Miners’ Union—Labor and Capital—A Heavy Pay-list—Where the Money Goes to—“Steamer Day.” [439]
CHAPTER LX.
THE HOTTEST PLACE IN THE MINE.
Secrecy—“Booming” Stock—Adventures of a French Count—Left in the Dark—Making it Hot for Him—Rescued—Polite to the Last. [446]
CHAPTER LXI.
UNDERGROUND BATTLES.
The Beginning of Trouble—The Contest—“Fighting Interests.”[Interests.”] [454]
CHAPTER LXII.
THE WEALTH OF THE WORLD.
Mines of Ancient Days—The Yield of American Mines—Humboldt’s Curious Calculations—Varied Fortunes—The Plum in the Pudding—Value of the Different Levels—Searching in the Dark. [461]
CHAPTER LXIII.
FLUCTUATIONS OF FORTUNE.
The Comstock Mines—Hidden Treasure—A Great Sensation—The Excitement Increases—Panic—A Millionaire’s Advice. [460]
CHAPTER[CHAPTER] LXIV.
THE RICHEST SPOT IN THE WORLD.
The Grand Gallery—Glittering Caverns—The World’s Greatest Treasure-Store—“Ventilation”—A “Horse” in the Mine. [479]
CHAPTER LXV.
AGGREGATED WEALTH.
A Fortune in one Foot—Future Prospects—What Yet Remains—Undiscovered Bonanza—Figures before Facts—Facts After Figures—Distribution of the Wealth—Its Influence. [487]
CHAPTER[CHAPTER] LXVI.
CONCERNING VENTILATION.
Too hot for Comfort—Blowers—Down Deep—The Sutro Tunnel. [496]
CHAPTER LXVII.
BELOW THE WATER-DEPOSITS.
Deeper than a Well—Bottom Dropped Out—Creeping Propensities—A Skull Discovered—An Unlucky Slip. [501]
CHAPTER LXVIII.
SOME INTERESTING CREATURES.
Carson City—Lizards and Scorpions—A Pleasing Insect—A Wicked way of Laying Eggs—Another Agreeable Insect. [509]
CHAPTER LXIX.
MILLIONAIRE PROPRIETORS.
Mr. John Mackey—The Hon. William Sharon—How his Fortune was Made—Mr. James C. Fair—Mr. Samuel S. Curtis—The Hon. J. P. Jones—A Big Business. [517]
CHAPTER LXX.
FUN AND FROLIC.
A Secret Expedition—Bitten by a Snake—All a Mistake—Camping Out— Manufacture of Slapjacks—“It never came Down.” [533]
CHAPTER LXXI.
THE BRIGHT SIDE OF PROSPECTING.
Off for the Land of Gold—Something in his Boot—Afraid of Tom—Tom’s Intentions—Pike Outwitted—Left Behind. [540]
CHAPTER LXXII.
THE COMICAL STORY OF PIKE.
Tom Sings—The Joke Successful—Pike Vanishes—A Pretty Big Story—Doubtful[Doubtful] Dreams—Self-deceived—Our Journey’s End. [547]