1913 Lincoln County History

CHAPTER LII.

by A. L. Scott.

The first recorded person of European descent to enter the limits of Nevada was Francisco Garces (1738-1781), of the Order of St. Francis, who set out from Sonora in 1775 and passed through what is now the extreme southern corner of the State, later known as Lincoln County, on his way to California. The old Spanish trail which he is supposed to have originated and which is shown on the early maps, leads by a winding course from Santa Fe, New Mexico, to Los Angeles, via the Rio Virgin and Las Vegas. In 1849, a company looking for a shorter route into southern California, crossed the lower part of what was afterwards Lincoln County, and perished in Death Valley. In the winter of 1865-6, wagon-tire and other irons supposed to have belonged to the outfit were found and brought into Pahranagat Valley to be used by the miners there. In 1852 the Mormons received a contract to carry the mail from Salt Lake to San Bernardino over the route established by Congress that year. Las Vegas was established at that time, partly as a way station and partly to smelt lead from the Potosi mines. Several acres were planted in grain in Meadow Valley, probably near the present site of Panaca, in 1858. In 1863, Meadow, Eagle and Spring valleys were used as herding grounds by St. George Mormons. The first real settlement in the Southern part of the County was in 1856 when a number of Mormon families settled at Las Vegas - The Meadows. In 1857 when the San Bernardino Branch of Mormons was called to Salt Lake, the station fell into the hands of Gentiles who have occupied it since. In 1865 a mission of about 250 Mormon families from Utah settled the Muddy Valley, establishing the towns of St. Thomas (originally laid out under instructions from Brigham Young in 1864), Overton, St. Joseph, Junctionville and Bunkerville. At the period of its greatest prosperity, in 1867, St. Thomas contained about 500 inhabitants. These Mormons considered themselves residents of Pahute Co., Arizona, but the subsequent session by Congress of a degree of longitude from Arizona to Nevada put them indisputably in Nevada. Controversies then arose about back-taxes, to end which Brigham Young ordered the abandonment of the settlements in the Muddy Valley. March, 1871, witnessed the exodus of the entire population excepting one family. Ore was discovered, the Colorado District organized, and Eldorado laid out in 1861. Callville was settled in 1864 by Anson Call and some Utah emigrants. About 1864 ore was discovered in Pahranagat (Watermelon) Valley and in 1865 Wm. H. Raymond bought about a million feet of ground there. Prospects were very promising, so steps were taken to organize a new County, with Crystal Springs as the County Seat.

Early in the spring of 1866, Governor Blasdell left Carson City, accompanied by a number of his friends, with the view of organizing the new County. But, the party, in endeavoring to reach Pahranagat by a different route from the ordinary one, journeyed by way of Death Valley, California. They crossed the valley without serious difficulty, but after passing Ash Meadows they found themselves reduced to very short allowances of food and water. Realizing the perils of the situation, the Governor, and State Geologist White, hastened on to Logan where they loaded a wagon with supplies and sent it back under a guard to their suffering friends. The latter were met at Summit Spring in a sorry plight. For several days they had been subsisting on lizards; one man of the party had died, and all were more or less exhausted with the unusual hardships. Then, contrary to the Governor's expectations, the County lacked the number of legal voters necessary to fill the legislative requirements, so its organization had to be postponed for one year.

Of the Lincoln County aborigines, practically nothing is known, as there has been very little research work. Dr. S. L. Lee, of Carson City, reported that in Condor Canyon, on the route of the branch railroad to Pioche, there are about 50 figures cut in the rocks, many of them designed to represent mountain sheep. Still farther south, possibly 80 miles from Pioche, in the Meadow Valley wash near Kane Springs, this class of prehistoric art is most numerous and perfect in design. Men on horseback, engaged in the pursuit of animals, are among the most perfect, and probably modern, of the designs at that place. The Indians in the country, who are practically all of the parent Shoshone tribe, seem to have some superstitious belief regarding these inscriptions. In any event, they refuse to talk upon the subject with the whites. On the other hand, their unwillingness to speak of them may be due to their natural reticence which is very pronounced.

About April 1, 1867, Robert W. Knox left Austin, with a man named L. B. Vail, for the Southern portion of the State. Nothing further was heard of Knox until his body was disinterred near Hiko. Indians passing a formed camping ground of Vail found a saddle that had been partly dug up by coyotes, and took it to Hiko. As foul play had been suspected, white people went to the spot where the saddle had been found, and soon discovered the buried body of Knox, evidently killed by a blow on the head, probably with an axe, while asleep. It is said that Vail had camped on the spot, sleeping upon the grave of his victim for over a month in order to hide it. Vail was captured at the White House, on Reese River, about 10 miles from Austin, by Sheriff Jas. E. Matthews, of Lincoln Co., Sheriff Rauney, of Nye County, and City Marshall Hank Knerr, of Austin. After his arrest he was taken to Belmont and held in jail there by order of Judge Curler for some weeks, as there was neither Judge nor jail as yet in Lincoln Co. Early in July, however, Sheriff Matthews took his prisoner to Logan. On July 10, he was taken before a justice of the peace for examination, but on the 11th he was taken away from the officers by a body of citizens. He was brought to Hiko where a Court was organized and a jury impanelled. Reports say he was given a fair trial, found guilty of murder, and at 15 minutes to 9, he was sentenced to be hanged at 10 o'clock. Another report says that while his trial was going on in a front room, his coffin was being made in the rear. He was taken under a tree in a wagon, the noose adjusted to a convenient limb, and the wagon then driven out from under him.

The history of Lincoln County is largely a history of its mines. Potosi and Eldorado Canyon were the earliest strikes, followed shortly after by the Pahranagat Valley. Next came Pioche, originally known as Panaca (Panacker-Silver) Mount Irish, with an altitude of 11,000 feet, where many good prospects have been found since 1865, was named after the Indian agent at that time. Freyberg, in the Worthington district, was located in '65. The Highland district was organized in '68; Silver Springs, now known as Silver Park, where there were once two mills, was organized in '69; Tem Pah Ute, formerly the Sheridan district, in '68; Groom in '70; Pennsylvania in '71; Bristol and Chief, '70; Silver King and Patterson about '74, and Jack Rabbit in '76. Wm. Hamblin was in Clover Valley in the early '6os; a negro, Barton, says he was the first white man to settle in Meadow Valley; Spring Valley was settled in '67 by Wm. C. Moody and Alma Willett; Lake Valley, A. Prarie's farm, shortly afterwards. Pioche was settled in 1868 by Jos. Grange and E. M. Chubard, who erected a small furnace which proved a failure. In 1869, Raymond and Ely brought their five-stamp mill up from the Pahranagat Valley. A company consisting of P. McCannon, L. Lacour, and A. M. Bush laid out the town in 1869. It was surveyed by E. L. Neason, C. E., and was named Pioche by Mrs. S. E. C. (Carmichael) Williamson in a letter read at the organization meeting of the Ely Mingin District which follows:

MEADOW VALLEY, February 20, 1869.
Messrs. SMITH, TOWNSEND, McNEiLL AND OTHERS - locating the "City of the Future":
Gentlemen - With many thanks for the compliment allowing me to suggest a name for your City, I offer for your consideration "Pioche." Most respectfully,
S. E. C. WILLIAMSON.

F. L. A. Pioche, of San Francisco, owned largely in the mines, so the town still bears his name. In 1870-2 Pioche was the most active town in Nevada, with the possible exception of Virginia City.

The County Seat, first at Crystal Springs, and later at Hiko, came to Pioche with the boom. Writing on the "Romance of Pioche," Col. James W. Abbott says: "Long before the camp had any name, the Pahute Indians had discovered the ore. As early as 1863 some of that tribe had induced a man named William Hamblin to go with them to the scene of their discovery. At the time of his first visit to the deposits, Hamblin attempted to make some locations, but at that early period the mining laws and regulations were exceedingly crude. The following year, 1864, Hamblin returned to the place with other white men, and more locations were made. (The Panacker, 1864, is the first recorded claim, and from it the adjoining acreage was called Panaca Flat), owing to the distractions of the Civil war, and difficulties with the Indians, little progress was made in developing this region for some years. There was no transcontinental railroad in those days; even Virginia City was reached by stage lines crossing the Sierras. All freight from the East came by vessel to San Francisco, and was shipped in from there by freight wagons. A line of Concord coaches was operated from the Missouri River to Sacramento, but the fare was very high, and the cost of freight proscriptive. Prospectors nearly all came by stage to Virginia City, and outfitted there for prospecting trips, or proceeded further East to some other camp to purchase an outfit there from some other adventurer. A little desultory work was done on the claims from '64 to the early part of '68. By this time the story of the rich veins had gone abroad, and it was early in the year 1868 that F. L. A. Pioche sent Chas. E. Hoffman to purchase the properties which later were incorporated as the Meadow Valley Mining Co., one of the two great mining companies that in the 70's became rivals, and were as famous in the mining world as the Bonanza Mines at Virginia City. Hoffman was a metallurgist of considerable experience and high reputation. He brought with him from California to Pioche, a lot of Mexicans who had worked for him there, and at once began to erect a little smelter to treat the ores from the claims he had purchased for Pioche. About the first of the year 1869, two men, named John H. Ely, and Wm. H. Raymond, appeared at the new camp. They had been operating in the Pahranagat Valley, about 150 miles farther South, and had gone through all their means when they reached Pioche's camp. They made a dicker with two brothers named Edward and Pat Burke, who had located a very rich claim, and bought it. Ely and Raymond had been running a little five-stamp mill down at Hiko in the Pahranagat Valley, and there it had been a dismal failure. Twelve miles below Pioche's camp was a Mormon settlement called Panaca (settled about 1864, and receiving its name from the Panacker claim as the party locating it had made their headquarters there in '64). Ely and Raymond induced some of the Mormons to go down to Hiko and bring up that little five-stamp mill, and to wait for their pay until it could be realized from the sale of bullion. The mill was brought and set up on a sloping hillside where water was convenient and abundant (later known as Bullionville), and to this mill the Mormons hauled the rich ore from the Burke mine. The enterprise prospered; Ely and Raymond made money very rapidly, liquidated their debts to the Mormons, and soon organized a company which became the famous Raymond & Ely. The Meadow Valley and the Raymond & Ely remained the two great rival properties and continued to produce very abundantly until the year 1876. The year 1872 was the banner year of production. Just how much was realized from the mines in that or any other year, it is impossible to ascertain. The law of Nevada provides that a return must be made to the County Assessor of the bullion produced in the County. During the year 1872, the returns to the County Assessor in Lincoln Co., of which Pioche was the County Seat, aggregated about $6,000,000. As these returns were required for the purposes of assessment and taxation, it is unreasonable to suppose that full returns were made to the County Assessor. The bullion all had to go to the outside world, where it was converted into cash, and the money was deposited at the Company's headquarters in San Francisco. It was not necessary even then that there should be a record of it at the Company's local office at Pioche. The ore was largely in the form of silver chlorides and bromides, and lead carbonates rich in silver. The gold and silver were extracted from the ore by what was known as the Washoe process, so-called because the process was first devised to treat the ores of the Washoe district, Utah, later known as the Comstock bonanzas of Virginia City. Bullionville, where Raymond & Ely's five-stamp mill had been erected, became a very important point. The little five-stamp mill ran for a year or two, but other and larger mills were built and soon supplanted it. The din of a hundred stamps in larger and better equipped mills after a while drowned the feeble tapping of those little antiquated stamps, and soon they went to the scrap heap. All the ore from the Raymond & Ely mine, and much from other claims in the district, was treated at Bullionville, but the Meadow Valley ore was treated in a splendid mill which the Company built at Dry Valley, ten miles northeast of Pioche, where a well had been sunk to obtain water. After the transcontinental railroad was completed and opened in '69, freight, stages and express came in from various points on that road. Some came from Salt Lake, some from Toano (near where Cobre is now located), some from Wells and Elko, and probably the larger part from Palisade by way of Hamilton. Much has been written about conditions in Pioche during the time of its greatest activity. It was a wild, turbulent, uproarious population which gathered there. At the height of its boom in '72, Pioche must have had a population of 10,000 people. This meant life at full tide. The following are a few of the high lights in an intensively interesting picture: A daily line of six-horse Concord coaches carrying U. S. mail and WellsFargo express to the Central Pacific R. R. at Palisade, through Hamilton (White Pine); a similar line to Salt Lake City, both operated by the famous Western stage-men Gilmer & Salisbury; three daily lines, two of them running six-horse Concord coaches, to Bullionville; three lines of railroad organized to build into Pioche with the utmost possible speed - The Salt Lake City, Sevier Valley & Pioche Railroad (a Mormon line) and the Palisade, Eureaka & Pioche, controlled by D. O. Mills from the North, and another from the South; the Western Union Telegraph to San Francisco by way of Palisade (Pioche was long one of the Western Union's principal western offices), and the Desert Telegraph (Brigham Young's line) through Salt Lake City; 32 steam hoists with their chorus of whistles; a fast-freight-mile-line running day and night, with regular station for change of stock, carrying freight under contract for delivery in five days (with penalty for failure) from Palisade to Pioche (260 miles); a narrow gauge steam freight railroad from Pioche to Bullionville, past the mills at Dry Valley and through Condor Canyon; two daily papers with associated press service; in the cemetery the graves of 78 men who died a violent death; 72 saloons, 3 hurdy-gurdies (dance-halls, two white and one variegated); 32 maisons de joie, with intimate correlation in the last four items; two good theatres; two breweries; two gravity water-systems with street mains and fire plugs, and two hose companies; a livery stable with 300 horses. Probably twenty mining companies were organized to operate different properties at or near Pioche. These companies were all listed on the San Francisco stock exchange, and the best of them were as much in demand as the Virginia City stocks. Fortunes were made and lost in the stocks of Meadow Valley and Raymond & Ely. The final collapse of the camp was said to be due primarily to stock speculation. It is certain, however, that reaching the water level (1200 ft.), the demonetization of silver and the failure of the Bank of San Francisco were contributing causes. Under the subject "Early Days in Lincoln County," Charles Gracey in a letter to the Nevada Historical Society says: - "In August 1868 we loaded up at White Pine and started for Lincoln County, Highland District, the latter named by Mr. Allen McDougall (our guide) who was Highland Scotch. Since ours was the first wagon into the county (?) we had to break the road, and we were several days making the trip. Arrived in camp we found the balance of the company, which consisted of six in all: Ed. Cavence, Gus Gatewood, Chas. Meyers, Allen McDougall, Micham and myself. I did not like the looks of the mines when I had time to look them over, but did not say much for I saw that they were all touchy about the matter. Times had been very hard with them, and they were all glad for the load of provisions, steel and tools which we had brought in with us, and we commenced to open Highland district, twelve (?) miles west of Pioche. Some of the names at least in the following narrative will be familiar to many readers. There came to our camp two brothers, Pete and George Miller. Pete was, later, in politics and held County offices. We were in Stampede Gap, well North in the District. In the Southern part were Slaven, Marshall, and four brothers from Arkansas, the Dodd boys, as they were called, also Johnnie Harwood. Marshall was our District Recorder. We met every evening and discussed matters. It was in this way that I learned that 60 miles South and West was Pahranagat Valley and the town of Hiko, and that over there were mills for the working of silver ores; that a man by the name of W. H. Raymond had operated them in '63, '64 and '65, and that he and John Ely had sold out for big money (?). I learned also that here were mines in Pioche (called Panaca at that time), and that E. Marten Smith had been there and purchased lead mines and proposed building a smelter.

"Our mines in Stampede Gap did not turn out well because we did not understand the ores. I built a small furnace, and with a large bellows which I had, tried to smelt some of the ores and succeeded, but the product was small and mostly lead. The expense was great and, as I was the only man in the Company who had a cent of money, it was soon exhausted and we broke camp. We all started off to find new fields. Coming to the new camp of Pioche, we found great expectations among all classes. E. Marten Smith had sold the Meadow Valley mine to California men who proposed building a smelter at once. A man by the name of Lacour had put in a stock of goods. For prospectors 'all broke' and ready for anything that would furnish grub this was great news. The thought occurred to one of our company, Charlie Meyers, that if a smelter was to be built, there must be coal (charcoal) to run it, and, said he, 'burning coal is my business.' We all agreed that he must see the Meadow Valley men about coal. Accordingly the next day he interviewed Charles Hoffman, the head man of the Meadow Valley outfit, and secured a contract for 2000 bushels of coal at 30c. a bushel at the pit. That night there was a great rejoicing in our camp. It certainly looked as if all of our fortunes were made. Next morning we all assembled at a grove of nut-pine and commenced to build two coal pits. We carried the wood on our backs to suitable ground. Meyers made good and proved that he thoroughly understood the coal burning. Our success was great. In a few weeks we had our money, for the Meadow Valley Company was composed of wealthy men, F. L. A. Pioche being one of them. They put things through rapidly. All these things happened in 1869. When we got our money for the coal, Ed. Cavence and I took my team and started to White Pine for supplies, that being the nearest provisioning point. On our return we fell in with a load of supplies coming in for the Meadow Valley Co., and with the load were some young men of whom I afterwards learned to think a great deal of - Thompson Campbell, Dave Newman, John McManus and Jas. Findley. Hoffman had employed them and was sending them out to work for the Company, mostly at office-work. When we got back to camp (Pioche), we found that another Company had been started and was building a furnace. The Company, consisted of two men, Raymond and Ely, who started in a humble way, but later figured largely in the camp and the county. Still another individual has as much to do with the success of the camp as any other man. His name was Shuber. He was a Frenchman and a metallurgist of note. He had a furnace built on upper Main street, near the Raymond & Ely mine, and worked it with two bellows arranged with double covers and his power was the noble burro. He made a success and proved the values of the ores, but also demonstrated that they were not smelting ores. The Meadow Valley Co. spent $75,000 to learn what Shuber (E. M. Chubard) proved for $75, not counting his work. Shuber proved his mines, took the small amount of bullion produced and his returns away with him, sold his interests and never returned. In November, 1869, I went over to where the Raymond & Ely people were at work and found Tom Greaves trying in vain to put steel into a pick. Here was my opportunity. I was a blacksmith by trade. I put the steel in and became great in an hour. John Ely was informed of the circumstance. He came to me and said: 'Gracy, you are just the man for whom we are looking; you stay here and do our work, and you can board at our camp.' Board looked good to me and I stayed. They were building a furnace and had had a threshing machine horsepower to run the blower. A German named Shuner was employed as the furnace expert. After some days of experimenting the furnace was declared a failure. While working at odd jobs I had by this time showed that I understood machinery. Mr. Raymond now came to me and said: 'Mr. C. P. Hall tells me that you are a machinist as well as a blacksmith.' I replied that I was. Said he: 'I never expected this furnace to work, but I wanted my partner, Mr. Ely, to be satisfied, which I think he now is. I have a silver-mill in Pahranagat Valley. If you think that you could take it down and have it put up again in good shape, I would have it brought over to Bullionville and have it set up there. I think that this ore can be worked by the same process.' I assured him that I could do any kind of machine work, having erected two sawmills in California, and he replied that he was satisfied that I could do the work. 'But' said he 'we have no money. If we can take it out of the mine, we will pay you, and it will also make your mines more valuable.' I agreed to work without pay if he would furnish the grub. He replied that he could not even do that, but that John Ely, his partner, was acquainted with the Mormons and could get grub from them. Moreover, he did not even own the mine as yet, but if I would promise to stay with him and build the mill, he would buy the mine. That night around the camp-fire were Pony Duncan, Bob Winans, the Burke Brothers, Raymond and myself, and several others. All were very glum. The smelter was a failure. No one had any means, and it was, on the whole, rather a dull outlook. After a while, Mr. Raymond spoke up and said to Mr. Burke (called Pat Maloy): 'This furnace is a failure. I have a proposition to make to you boys that own this Burke mine. I have a five-stamp mill in Pahranagat Valley. I am willing to pay you $35,000 for the mine, provided you will wait for your money until I can get the mill here and take out the ore.' All were very quiet for a time. Then Pony Duncan spoke up and said: 'I am willing to agree to that.' Bob Winans also agreed to it. The Burke brothers who owned one half of the mine said nothing. Thus we sat for 10 minutes and no one spoke. Then 'Pat Maloy' asked: 'Where will we get anything to eat while you are doing all that?' Raymond replied that John Ely would see to getting the grub. Then said Burke: 'It is all right,' and Mr. Raymond handed him his silver watch and turning to me, said: 'Charlie, you are a witness that I have bought this mine and that I give him this watch to bind the bargain. Boys, you are all witnesses. This watch is worth $60. Charlie, we will start for Pahranagat at once, going as far as Bullionville to-night.' That was 12 miles from where we were camped. Then Raymond said to Withe Walker, who was attending to camp: 'Walker, can you let us have some bread and meat?' Walker put up a loaf of bread and a large piece of boiled beef, and we started out for Panaca, or, as it was afterwards called, Bullionville. Some time during the night we arrived at the place where we built the mill. Next day we got some teams at the Mormon settlement and started for Pahranagat Valley. Some mining had been done at the latter place in the early 60's, and Raymond had been the moving spirit, but it had proved a failure. About the same time there was a rumor of trouble with the Indians, but more, I believe, of some doubt about the Mormons being loyal to the North, and in 1864 General Connor had been sent with cavalry to look things over. His men had located many claims both in Pahranagat and in the Pioche country, but had done nothing to speak of. The soldiers and all prospectors had left in '65, and all the mines had been abandoned until '68. We arrived in Pahranagat in good time. We took down the mill and made arrangements with residents of the valley to have it loaded on teams as they came in. Then we returned to the mill-site, and the miners of the camp volunteered their services to grade for the mill and to build the road. All were promised pay after the mill was started. The building was slow work, but in January 1870, I got things in shape and ran the five-stamps on ore that had been hauled down to the place. In the meantime Mr. Raymond had gathered around him men who had some knowledge of working the ore. The head man was L. B. Sever, an assayer and a good man. There was also a carpenter named Mortimer Fuller, afterwards District Judge. I had considerable trouble with the mill, but finally got it started. The first night I stayed up all night. We drew off the charge from the pans into the settler and then drew off the quicksilver from the settler and strained it through a sack. In the morning I had the sack full of amalgam. Mr. Raymond came down about four in the morning and asked me how things were. I showed him the sack of amalgam. He pinched it and said: 'That is good; it squeaks. Gold and silver amalgam is the only one that will squeak.' Well, it was a success. The ore was worth $300 a ton and we were working it to 78 per cent. There was plenty of ore, and in 60 days Raymond and Ely had paid every dollar they owed and were rich men. We had shot off a gun that sounded around the world, but were not aware of it, at least I was not. I was Chief Engineer of the Raymond & Ely for 7 years, and had 60 stamps running the last 5 years. In that time the Raymond & Ely Co. produced $17,000,000. The Meadow Valley Co. did not produce as much, but that mine was also good and produced many millions. When with our five-stamp mill we proved how easily money could be taken out, that was the making of Pioche. Bullion was a great advertiser. People began to flock in from everywhere. Rich ore was found in many places not thought of before. The first trouble occurred at the Washington & Creole. Tom and Frank Newland had made a location above the Washington & Creole mine, which latter was owned by Raymond & Ely. The Newland boys asked for the privilege of starting a tunnel below the Washington & Creole to run through the same which at this time was not considered of much value. Raymond & Ely gladly granted the privilege for the Newland boys were new-commers and needed encouragement. The boys ran in their tunnel about 30 feet underground, or from the face, and struck the Washington & Creole ledge as was expected. But, contrary to expectations, the ledge at this point was very rich, averaging about $300 per ton. It proved to be 9 feet thick. Before much was known about the strike, the Newland boys went to Ely and Raymond, and secured the privilege of taking out ore on the Washington & Creole for 30 days. They then opened up a wonderful bonanza. Everything was satisfactory. Raymond & Ely were pleased that the boys were doing well, and Mr. Raymond said that it would encourage others to dig. When the 30 days expired the ground was turned over to Withe Walker, who was foreman for Raymond & Ely. Walker went with the Newlands through the tunnel and saw thousands of tons of rich ore exposed and ready to be taken out. Walker was naturally much pleased, and said he: 'I can keep that rattletrap of a mill at Bullionville going now.' As the Burke mine was then in a pinch and not supplying the ore as rapidly as needed, everyone was pleased. Mr. Raymond said 'That ore might have lain there for years, or might never have been found.' He believed in being liberal. It was the best way, and he took considerable credit to himself for his fair dealings. He was indeed a fair man, but he had much to learn and never learned it. Well, as I have said, the Newland boys turned the thing over, and everyone thought that it was all right. The Newlands went on with their tunnel. But a mountain of ore worth $300 a ton will worry anyone when it is in plain sight and everyone is allowed to see it. Before long the Newlands got some of the new men from White Pine to help jump the mine. They built a fort in the night and manned it with men and guns for defense. Then they commenced to take out and ship the ore to Silver Peak, where there was a ten-stamp mill. There was no law in the country, and no one to stop them. It is true that a township had been formed and a justice court provided. The County had held an election and chosen John Kane, a miner, Sheriff. He went up to the fort but was ordered away. The boys continued to move the ore. Something had to be done. Raymond and Ely could do nothing, for they were told in plain words that if either of them set foot in camp it would be certain death, and there is no doubt but such would have been the case. Many men were coming from many places, some men of means. There went to Bullionville four young men, polite, gentlemanly fellows, all under 30 years of age, They were Michael Casey, Barney Flood, Morgan Courtney and Wm. Bethers. They said to Raymond and Ely: 'We will drive these fellows off it you will give us a written promise that we can have the ground for 30 days.' The bargain was made and operations begun. I was posted on everything that was going on, but did not know when or how these young men would get possession. That they kept to themselves. This is what was done; I was in a good position to see the whole battle, which was afterwards known as the Washington & Creole fight. These young men got some whiskey up to the guard in the fort. At that time there was a pretty good growth of nut pine on the hill above the fort. Here the young men hid. About 3 o'clock there came a shout, and the four young men ran rapidly down the hill, each with a pistol in hand. They drove the others out and away from their arms. I heard the shots and saw one man fall, Snell by name, and I saw Casey take a rifle and knock a man down the bank with it. Many shots were fired and many men were wounded, but Snell was the only one killed in that fight. Nevertheless, I have heard others tell of the same fight and give the number of killed as 10 or 12. But I was an eye witness and very much interested, and I am sure that one man only was killed. I do not remember the number of wounded. The boys who did that piece of work made $15,000 each of their lease of 30 days. Raymond and Ely bought the ore and paid them their money for it. This was the beginning of trouble in the camp. During the next year or so there were at least 7 men killed in disputes about mining claims. Fights were of frequent occurrence, and many men were wounded, but not more than 7 or 8 were killed. Two men were killed by an explosion after the big fire in '71. Of the four young men who took the Washington & Creole, I will say something further. Morgan Courtney turned out to be a sport and was counted chief of the fighting men. He gambled very heavily. Barney Flood got into trouble and stabbed a man, but did not kill him. To save himself he left the camp and went, I think, to New York. Casey owed Tom Gossen $100. When he had deposited his $15,000 in the bank he was met there by Gossen who said to him: 'You had better pay your debts.' Casey told the banker to pay Gossen $100 for him. Gossen then reminded Casey that there was interest due him. Words followed and both drew guns. The doors opened from the bank to the street. Each man stepped to a door and shot at the other. Gossen's gun missed, but Casey hit Gossen, who died about a day later. Before his death he left his money to friends with the exception of $5,000 which was to go to the man who killed Casey. Gossen's friends set a watch over Casey so that he could not leave town. Yet they scarcely dared to kill him in the town. Casey's friends said that Gossen had shot first. Some of those who saw the shooting said that Casey shot first. One of these was Jim Levy. I knew Levy well. He was a very quiet man and a good miner and worked every day. Casey met Levy in Felsenthal's store and in my presence asked Levy if he had indeed said that Casey fired the first shot. Levy said that he had, and was ready to swear to it. Casey then commenced abusing Levy. Levy replied in a quiet way: 'You can abuse me now while you have your gun with you.' Levy had just come from his work in the mine and carried his lunch bucket in his hand. Casey told him to get his gun and come shooting. Levy left the store, went to his cabin, changed his clothes, got his gun and returned. Dave Nagel was on the sidewalk in front of Felsenthal's store watching for Levy to come back along the street, but Levy came through an alley instead that ran alongside the store, and thus surprised Casey and Nagel. The shooting commenced at once. Nagel ran out into the street and fired several shots at Levy. But Levy and Casey had clinched and were on the sidewalk together. I think now, and have always thought, that it was the beating over the head with a pistol that killed Casey rather than the shots that were fired. Nagel hit Levy in the lower jaw or chin and made a bad scar. Levy was shot in the forehead but it did not penetrate the skull. Casey was now dead and Gossen was avenged, but Casey's friends now were the enemies of Levy and tried their best to kill him. But he proved to be the most fearless and aggressive in that line that had ever appeared, and was soon the terror of all the fighters. When he got the $5,000 left by Gossen for killing Casey, he was himself no longer. He was killed many years later in Tucson, Ariz. Bill Bethers was shot, I think, in Eureka, Nev., a year or so later. Morgan Courtney, who was still around town, had shot one or two men, and was held to be a very bad character. Before I left the mill at Bullionville, Courtney met his match one afternoon on the main street. Both men got out their guns, but Courtney was too slow and was shot six times before he had time to shoot. The other man was arrested but went unpunished for it was proved that Courtney had made the shooting necessary, and in a few hours the accused was a free man. (So Barney Flood is the only live man of the quartet, and he had to leave town to save himself). By this time the rich ore supply was exhausted; the wild excitement was no more; money was hard to get. The town became as quiet as any other old town. I find that a bad name is liable to be exaggerated, and thus it has been with Pioche. It was not so bad a town as is now represented. There was some killing, to be sure, but there was also great provocation, and it is a wonder to me that Pioche did not become as bad as some at the present day claim it was. But I was there from first to last, and, while I admit that it was bad enough, it was not as represented later by those who did not know. While the excitement continued in and about the mines there were even worse things going on among the law-and-order men who were supposed to keep the bad element down. There was a Vigilante Committee formed which proved to be of no credit to the town. This gang ran the politics. John Kane, was Sheriff, but was considered too slow, and Wes Travis was elected in his stead. Mortimer Fuller was District Judge. A Court House was built and an indebtedness incurred which has hurt the County more than all the killing that was done. At no time was crime punished, yet all the time the expenses were piled up. The Sheriff's office while Travis had it was considered worth $40,000 a year. All other things were in proportion. Such things need no exaggeration, while the number of poor men who were killed may be magnified to any member that suits the fancy of the teller. The sums of money that were stolen under the name of law need no exaggeration. Of the two kinds of men, which is the worst: He who 'rights his wrongs where it is given,' or the man who promises to protect you in your rights if you will only elect him to office and put your trust in him, and then deliberately steals everything in sight and bonds you for forty years to come? The story of Lincoln County and the removal of the county-seat from Hiko to Pioche and the building of the Police Court House I remember very well, but it would be a long story. I leave it to others to tell. It is not a story of which to be proud. It was steal, steal, early and late, and keep on stealing. That was the main point in Lincoln County affairs. It is now forty years since I first came to Lincoln County, but I remember very well the main points. I had a very active part in the mining and milling of the ore which produced the millions that were taken out. If you think that this account is worth anything, I give it freely and can vouch for the truth of it. So far as the County stealing is concerned, I think that the men elected supposed that this was the way to play the game for they seemed pleased at what they had done. All men at that time were trying to make a stake and get out of the country, and could you blame them? Times were not then as now, and the early-day men must not be judged by the present conditions, neither must what they did be so judged. I did not blame the men at the time, or since. I have been in Nevada 40 years, and I think we have as good men and women in Nevada as in any State of the Union. I am sure that there never were more courageous and self-reliant men in any country."

As to the Mines, although many of them were heavy producers, according to statistics compiled by Professor Pack, only one Company, the Raymond & Ely, was able to pay dividends in excess of assessments levied.

In regard to the fire which practically destroyed the town on Sept. 15, '71, a report that there were thirteen killed and forty-seven injured is probably exaggerated. The story that there were three men killed in a flood following a cloudburst is also erroneous. The cloudburst occurred, but the damage was confined to flooded cellars.

Referring to the Court House, contract to build same was let for something less than $20,000. The boom collapsed shortly after the contract was let and work commenced. County scrip fell below 50c. on the dollar, and the County officers issued enough of it to make up the cash value of the contract. In addition they allowed extras in such an amount that it appears the only thing specified by the contract was the making of plans. When it came to furnishing the building, one item will be sufficient to tell the story - $180 in scrip was allowed for four student lamps. On top of the Court House deal came the Collectors' Fees swindle, which cost the County $16,000 the first year. But "all's well that ends well," and the natural resources of the County may yet draw it out of the mire. The lines of R. G. Schofield, one of the pioneers of Pioche, published in 1900 under the title "Ode to a Defunct Silver Camp," may be prophetic:

"City of the Dead! With streets forlorn!
    Mushroom of an hour! Of all thy grandeur shorn,
Where are thy hosts of decades three ago
    Who built each wooden palace for time to overthrow?
In vain your mines their silver millions gave;
    Each old-time miner left is Time's most pallid slave.
An alien race now claims thy frowning rock hill
    Which once resounded with its blasts, and blows from pick and drill.
Thy pride is humbled, but thy crimes are not forgot.
    Thou 'City of an Hour,' how sad now is thy lot !
And yet, 'twas not thy fault, but only greed of men
    Who spilled each other's blood and made of thee their den.
In times to come, when silver shall regain its place,
    Then may you glory in an honest, Godly race !"

By an act approved Feb. 20, '75, Nye County, in consideration of Lincoln assuming part of its debt, deeded to the latter County 51 miles of the strip formerly dividing White Pine and Lincoln Counties.

The early '80's marked a revival in the mines in the vicinity of Pioche. Bristol and Royal City were busy towns about that time, the National, Hillside, and Mayflower being the most important Bristol Mines. The Hillside, in two years, produced $518,265.45 in silver alone, and the Day mine at Royal City, originally located by Ike Garrison, produced $99,787.50 about the same time. A new smelter and concentrating works were installed at Bullionville in 1880, principally to work over old tailings. Considerable work was done on the Mendha (Melissa) and the Chisholm mines near Pioche. In 1882 ore was found about 14 miles west of Pioche and the Comet district organized. In May, 1883, the Floral Mill, just below the town of Pioche, was moved, reconstructed and resumed operations. Mill originally built in '72. There was considerable railroad talk and a committee found that the following shipments had been made from Pioche alone in the years 1870 to 1880: - Raymond & Ely, $10,228,211.50; Meadow Valley, $5,532,053.32; Alps, $743,963.11; American Flag, $350,000; Pioche, $460,000; Others $250,000; Total, $17,554,232.94.

In the summer of 1881, Jay Gould, of New York, commenced at Hiko to survey a line of railroad which was to connect San Francisco with the Utah Southern, but nothing materialized. Shortly after, Assemblyman Eugene Howell made a strong effort to get an appropriation of $250,000 from Congress to make the Colorado navigable to Callville, but he was unsuccessful. Judge Fuller, the first District Judge of the County, died in 1880 after being thrown from a buggy. As an instance of Spartan bravery in the County at that time, the citizens of the Pahranagat Valley in 1883 killed an insane man "just to get rid of him." There was a destructive fire in Bristol in 1886. In 1887 State Senator Poujade, of Lincoln, introduced a resolution for the direct election of U. S. Senators, which passed both houses. On August 18, 1888, 3.04 inches of rain fell in Pioche inside of 2 hours. It was in 1888 that judgment was given for $350,000 to the holders of the County Bonds issued in 1873. Dec. 23, 1889, was the date of the biggest flood ever known in Meadow Valley wash. In 1890 Hank Parrish was convicted for the murder of P. G. Thompson at Royal City, and he was hanged in Ely, where he was convicted, on Dec. 12. In 1890 the Union Pacific graded the road through Condor Canyon on a surveyed line from Milford to Pioche.

In 1891 a smelter was built near the present Pioche depot, work on the narrow gauge line to Jack Rabbit was commenced, an electric light plant was put in by the Pioche Water Co., and a telephone line built. In 1892 the Monkey Wrench district, later called Ferguson, was organized and the town of Helene sprang up. In April 1894, Captain Delmar bought the most important mines there and the town was moved over the hill and called Delamar. The principal producers, of gold, were the Jim Crow, April Fool and the Magnolia mines. About this time the judgments on the $180,000 bond issue of 1873 amounted to $440,000. In the latter part of June 1893, silver dropped to 73c. an ounce. Within a week, the Bullionville smelter, partly insured ($30,000) burned down; the Yuba mine at Pioche, formerly the American Flag, tried to reduce wages and the men quit; and shortly afterwards the Poorman, the only other silver producer operating, shut down. A mill which had been erected in Condor Canyon, and which had been treating ores from Pioche and Delamar, burned down in 1895, in June. On July 27, 1895, Panaca had the worst flood in its history. In this year Delamar received considerable notoriety on account of the issuance of aluminum coins as pay, owing to the danger of robbery when importing gold and silver to meet the pay rolls, but the practice was quickly stopped by the U. S. Government. Delamar also became notorious about this time on account of its failure to pay just Bullion Tax. For the first quarter of 1896, it made the following report: -

Tons milled: 20,677 tons, Value, $575,462 ; Extracting, $77,435 ; Transportation, $22,436. Milling, $372,186 or over $18.00 per ton.

The tax was evaded by forming a separate Company to mill the ores and by charging exorbitant rates to eat up all the profits of the mine, and the State and County officers seemed unable to prevent the practice.

State line and Line City boomed in 1897. In Nov. '01, at Fay, a negro named Ellis, was attacked by a gang of white men, threatened with hanging, robbed, and run out of camp. Some of the better element in the camp reported the matter to the authorities, and the next Grand Jury indicted 13 men for assault with intent to kill and robbery. The men were tried on the first count before Judge Talbot, District Attorney McNamee for the prosecution, and Attorneys Osborne and Sawyer for the defense. Two of the jurors held out for acquittal, but finally agreed to a compromise verdict wherein 7 of those indicted were found guilty of assault and battery.

Hancock Murder. - In June 1897, a veterinary surgeon named Engelke, and his driver known as "Canadian Joe" Edminston, stopped at Pahrump, Nye Co., on their way North. Mrs. Winnifred Myers, later Mrs. Goss, and John Hancock, from Orange, California, stopped there at the same time, also on their way North. The woman had a 7 year old boy with her. The two parties arranged to leave Pahrump together. On the third day out, Hancock proposed to the woman that they kill Engelke and Edmiston, swap outfits and get some money they were supposed to have. That night they slept in beds about 15 feet apart and at 3 a. m. Hancock struck each of the other men over the head with an axe, then shot them with a pistol and again struck them with the axe. He made the woman assist him to place the bodies in quilts, and after searching them, hauled them away in his wagon about a quarter of a mile and piled rocks on them. They then changed camp-outfits, burned their own wagon, soiled clothes and trunks, and threw away a box of medicine and instruments belonging to the Doctor. They left one horse at the camp and reached Eisenmann's ranch in Pahranagat Valley about 2 o'clock, where they traded some articles and sold a bulldog. At Panaca, they traded Engelke's race-horse to C. Rice for a team of work-horses, then went over into Utah. Hancock was arrested in Los Angeles in November, 1898, for burglary, and as soon as he was behind the bars, the woman confessed her part in the murder, claiming that only fear of Hancock had prevented an earlier confession. A map was sent to Sheriff Freudenthal, of Lincoln, and he started out with Jake Johnson, of Delamar, for Summit Springs, about 30 miles west of Pahranagat, on the road to Groom. About 10 miles this side of the Spring, the wagon tracks still visible led them to the two skeletons with fractured skulls and bullet holes, also the medicine case and some burned pieces of iron. After the skeletons were brought to Pioche, Hancock confessed, but implicated the woman. In the meantime he had received a ten-year sentence, having pleaded guilty to the burglary charge; and he had also been accused of the murder of Detective Moor in Denver in 1895, under the name of F. A. Benton. Requisition papers were issued for his return to Nevada, but the Governor of California considered it advisible to have him serve out his sentence there, for fear that he might not be convicted on the murder charge. After serving 8 years in San Quentin, on June 4, 1905, he was brought to Pioche by Sheriff Jake Johnson and Deputy H. E. Freudenthal. Pleading poverty the Court appointed F. J. Osborne to defend him. He pleaded not guilty and his trial was set for June 26. Although 8 years had elapsed since the crime had been committed, every material witness was present when the case was called before District Judge Geo. S. Brown. District Attorney Ben Sanders was assisted in the prosecution by "Judge" Marioneaur of the Salt Lake firm of Powers and Marioneaur. The Jury took only 20 minutes to return a verdict of guilty of murder in the first degree. He was sentenced to be hanged at Carson City on Sept. 8, 1905. On that day, after having ordered and eaten a hearty breakfast of fried oysters, his prayer on the gallows was as follows "Almighty God, I come before thee this morning praying that Thou wilt have mercy upon those who assisted in my prosecution. I trust that Thou wilt not lay it up against them, for they know not what they do. I trust that in the future my innocence will be proven, and I ask this in the name and in the mediation of Jesus Christ, my Saviour."

On April 20, 1899, the Summit Mill of the Pioche Consolidated Co. burned down at 1:30 a. m. while a dance was going on in town. In the same year the Utah Pacific built a line from Milford to McCune, on the State line between Utah and Nevada, but went no farther as times were very dull in Pioche, and the Company did not wish to incur the expense of filing its articles in Nevada. The reservoir at Round Valley was also projected in this year, to irrigate the Panaca country. In 1901, Senator H. E. Freudenthal introduced a bill refunding the County Bonds, the judgments on which by that time aggregated about $600,000, for $225,000; but Assemblymen Burke and Conway defeated it because "any bill that would save the County that much money must have a steal in it somewhere." Six years afterwards, times being more prosperous, Senator Campbell succeeded in refunding the debt at 65 per cent of the aggregate, and new bonds were issued for $435,000, bearing 4 per cent interest, to take up the judgments.

The San Pedro, Los Angeles & Salt Lake R. R. filed its articles of incorporation with the County Recorder on April 8, 1901, and for some time afterwards there was a bitter feud between Senator Clark and the O. S. L. over the right of way. For some time the Clark Co. wavered between a route through the Meadow Valley Wash, or the old U. P. survey over Bristol Pass, but they finally decided on the Meadow Valley Wash. There were several battles between Clark and O. S. L. parties in the vicinity of Nevada and Clover Valley, where both roads were trying to build at once, but the Clark people finally secured the right of way. Calientes was laid out in 1901, and held that name until the Post Office was established when it dropped the final "s." In Sept. 1901, through the efforts of Ed. Freudenthal, most of the old Pioche mines were incorporated under the name of the Manhattan Mining Co., which later became the Nevada-Utah M. & S. Corporation.

In 1912, ore was struck at Silver King, about 50 miles northwest of Pioche, carrying 16,525 oz. silver, and there was considerable excitement about it for a short time.

In 1903, Cochie Segmiller, an Indian boy, 16 years old, was tried for the murder of Bill Williams in the southern part of the County, and pleaded guilty. The Judge went so far as to change his plea to not guilty, but the boy on the witness stand insisted on his guilt. He was convicted and sentenced to be hanged Jan. 28, 1904. Shortly before that date, considerable influence was brought to bear on the Governor and the Board of Pardons in favor of the boy, and, largely through the personal efforts of Major Ingalls, an Indian Agent in the early days of Lincoln County, his sentence was commuted to life imprisonment.

The last spike on the San Pedro Railroad, connecting Salt Lake City and Los Angeles, was driven in Lincoln County at siding No. 31, 20 miles north of the Nevada-California line on Jan. 30, 1905. After the railroad was completed, making travel through the country more convenient, the outside world made the startling discovery that the largest county in the United States, having an area of almost 20,000 square miles, had neither church nor preacher. Of course, there were half a dozen Mormon Meeting Houses, and a Catholic Church had been built in Pioche in the '70's, but Lincoln County had to be rescued just the same. One resident of Pioche still continues to work this graft on eastern people every Christmas.

In October, 1905, the Grand Jury indicted County Clerk and Treasurer H. J. Goodrich for embezzlement, and Deputy Geo. O. Sawyer for falsifying accounts. In addition they severely censured practically all the other County officers and their predecessors. The indictments and censure were the result of experting the County books, which had been often recommended theretofore but as often postponed. In Court both Goodrich and Sawyer were acquitted.

In March '06, almost 100 miles of the San Pedro between Acoma and Vegas were washed out by a flood in Clover Valley and Meadow Valley Wash, and the line was out of commission for two months. In June '06, articles of incorporation of the Caliente & Pioche R. R. were filed, but work on the road was not commenced until the middle of April, '07, shortly after another wash-out in Meadow Valley Wash. The first train came into Pioche in Nov. '07, but there was no regular service and only a few shipments were made until the following year. In the election of 1908, the people voted in favor of a County High School, which is now located at Panaca. The 1909 Legislature, through the Bergman County Division Bill, divided Lincoln County and created Clark County out of the portion south of the 3rd Standard Parallel south of the Mount Diablo base line, effective July 1, 1909. In the 1911 Session, a bill passed both Houses straightening out the balance due Lincoln County by Clark on account of several items not covered by the Bergman Division bill, but Governor Oddie vetoed it claiming it was unconstitutional. In 1913, the same bill was again passed and Oddie signed it.

Two more serious washouts of the San Pedro in Meadow Valley Wash Jan. 1, 1910, and Jan. 28, 1911, persuaded that line to build a new roadbed through the wash, about 15 feet higher than the old one, after an unsuccessful endeavor to find a route other than through the Wash. Caliente enjoyed a brief boom while the reconstruction work was in progress, and in 1912 made a determined effort to capture the County Seat, but all candidates pledged to try to move it were defeated in the fall election. The branch railroad from Pioche to the Prince Mine was completed in July, 1912, by the Thompson Construction Co. of Salt Lake, at a cost of about $150,000.

The present area of the County, according to the Surveyor-General is 10,515 square miles, according to the County Assessor, 11,034 square miles, in the following approximate acreage: agricultural land, 300,000 acres; grazing, 5,661,760 acres; timbered, 550,000 acres; mineral, 550,000 acres. The tax rate for 1912 was $3.10. The total assessed valuation in 1912 was $2,226,918.50. Railroad mileage is as follows: San Pedro, 162.09 miles; Pioche Pacific (Jack Rabbit) 18 miles; Prince Con. 9-1/4 miles, total assessed in 1912 at $1,597.690.00. The population in 1910 was 3,489; in 1912 there were 692 pupils enrolled in the schools.

According to Bullion Tax reports, the mineral production for 1912 was over $1,000,000, but not a dividend was paid during the year. The year 1913 however, promises to see mining conducted in a more business-like manner.

Source: The History of Nevada, Volume 2, edited by Sam P. Davis, published 1913 by Elms Publishing Company, Reno, Nevada, pages 927-949. Extracted 17 May 2021 by Norma Hass.