Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1869-03-08
ON THE ROAD TO WHITE PINE.
E.xo. March s. 1860.

viewing it from the cars, because you
float by it so rapidly /; yet it is varied,
and by turns beautiful and magnificent.
The stream itself resembles the Carson
River, and the valley, in places, looks
much the same, with its patches of ex-
uded and solicited alkali, and its sloughs
hemmed in by willow hedges. In places,
the railroad runs almost over the water,
and at other points you see the brown
willows which mark the course Of the
stream, two or three miles away. Where
the hills recsde and the valley broadens
out, for miles there are magnificent
meadows covered with tall grass, which
bends before the breeze in golden tressed
eXuberance, while q mantle of rich
bunch grass covers the hills which pro-
ject, and gives to receding canyons a
touch of the autumnal beauty of n
forest. But not a tree is visible any,
where, until You reach Carlin, % miles
below here. A few miles below this
rival of Elko, the mountains close in and
form q deep, narrow gorge, through
which the river and the railroad pass.
Huge walls Of granite rise up aud even
hang over the road, and one almost
fears to pass under the apparently That
tered masses of rock which hang more
than a hundred feet above. Here and
there, high up the face of the bluff,
caves in the rock may be seen, but they
cannot be reached.
CARLIN
Is situated abont 300 yards from the
river; on the northern bank, and con
sists Of about 20 cloth houses, strung
along on tho river side of the track,
which at that point runs nearly east and
west. The valley is quite broad for
several miles to the southwest OF Carlin,
and furnishes n great quantity Of hay,
but | saw no farms, although the land is
| doubtless very productive. Rumor says
that Carlin has surveyed n wagon road
| to White Pine, ascertained the route to
DO much shorter and better than
from this place, and will shortly become
q formidable rival Of
ELKo.
But Elko, in my opinion, may well
laugh at opposition. Being situated on
a broad meadow, in which the best Of
drinking water can be obtained at a
depth of IL feet, it has plenty of fro
wood, from three to seven miles distant,
and no snow near enough to chill the
atmosphere. Tho town is well laid out,
the main street, through which the rail-
road runs, being $50 feet wide, exclu-
sivc of the width of the double track,
and the cross streets little built on as
yeti regular and roomy. The railroad
~(cosrse through town nearly north and
SOUTH has about three miles Of side
track here, q commodious depot, etc.
There are about 1870 cloth houses in town,
eight wooden ~(including u Chinese wash
housed, one of stone, FIVE OF adobe and a
dozen or more of willow brush. Main
street is COO yards west Of the river, and
800 yards west of the track the ground
rises at about 10 degrees to an elevation
of 20 feet, and extends west and north
for about six miles on u level, and al
most as smooth as q floor. When the
| meadow upon which Elko is situated
shall have filed up with business houses,
from the base of this plateau to the bank
| or the river, this elevated ground will
form a site most lovely for the resi-
denccs OF the busy hive below. On the
eastern side Of the river the hills are
low, and descend by gentle grades al.
most TO the water. South, the summit
ofthis range attains q considerable eleva-
ton, cxeep: where It'll cut by the valley,
through which the White Pine road
passes. Southeast, far away beyond
the summit of the front range, q chain
OF high mountains is seen running
nearly east and west, five or six peaks
of which rise to n great elevation, and
their white-robed SUBMITS look like
huge banks of cloud rising from the
unknown regions beyond the cedar
groves which stretch along the front
range or divide. Due east, three miles,
you can see the groupings Of the coal
mines. Where the cross-chain just
described joins the north and south
| range, nine miles from here, q dark
frOwning ledge is seen, trarorSing the
highest ridge for more than q mile.
That is the Comstock of Elko. It
carries silver, but in what quantities
is not yet known, though prospecting
will soon he commenced on the ledge.
Northeast about six miles there is one
peak that has some professions to
elevation, aud would pass for the twin
brother Of Mount Davidson - being
about 1000 feet above the level of the
sea.
Elko is SOC miles from Reno, and 400
from Sacramento. Hill Beachy is look.
ing for II new road from Idaho, to tap
the railroad ut q more central Tor in
other words White Pine) point, and
Carlin has put in u bid for the terminus;
but Eiko has her eyes open, and will
not be outdone by a 'one-horsc camp"
like Carlin.
INSTITUTIONS OF ELHo.
Among the institutions here are the
stage lines, the express Offices, the rail-