The Elko independent. [volume] (Elko, Nev.) 1869-1872, 1870-03-12
Mining Experience.
The Omaha Herald has a correspondent
from whose letters we extract the following;

The Omaha Herald has a correspondent
from whose letters we extract the following; .
THE Crs ASp DOWNS or MINING LIrE.
Then there was the original Aurora mine
which always had u doubtful character Two
men, hrothers, came, from one of Nevada 8
played-out mining towns and managed to
lease the Aurora, not because they had any
money, but because the Aurora was considered
quite, worthless a few months later thesd
tnen sold their lease for n snug pile, and went
down to Frisco" the ultima thule of every
miner golden dream--the place where every
old Pacific coaster goes when he makes a
strike."l ..... ... ..I... ........ .. .
knew one old hummer in White Pine, who
oftimes depended on his friends for whisky
and meals, and who was worth three or four
hundred thousand dollars "a short time before
, White Pine was discovered. Men came to
White Pine during the Summer Of 1868 with
out sufficient coin to pay weeks board
made ten or fifteen thousand dollars in as
many weeks, went 10 "Frisco;" in other
words, down 10 the Bay lived rs miners
are wont to do when flush" came buck
IN the Spring of 1869, and i'll the following sum
mer might have been seen wandering around
White Pine like the uneasy ghosts along the
river StyX, which Virgil so yiyidIy portrays or
walking out to Elko, "A distance of l20 miles.
because they had nothing better 20 do and no
money to pay stage fare. or some half dozen
prominent mercantile firms. which COM
manded thousands of ,iuiiars and Were flush"
with coin during the Winter of 1869, only
ono was on It's last legs the next Summer and
FAN. | knew two intelligent, industrious and
vcTytempCratc men, having control of "a much
talked of mine at White Pine, who had been
knocking around the Pacific coast excitemchts
Tor ten years without making the long looked
for Strike" White Pine "sOured'' on them
both, though at one time they were considered
TO be on the verge Cf that happy state known
as rich and respectable" | well remember
one elderly man. member Of prominent firm
in Treasure City, which, during last Winter.
and owned claims that would have sold any
day for many thousands Uf dollars. The lat
ter part of last Summer the same man was
trying To borrow money enough 10 take him
from White Pine TO Sacraucntu, ...-
About the latter part of 1868 or early in
1869, certain town in Idaho contained n fell
low who was invited 10 leave the town for the
towns good. This specimen of the genus
homo was fhmiliHrly known ns Jack, the gor-
niln gambler. Well, the atmosphere of Idaho
becoming rather warm for him, he wandered
off u the newly discovered White Pine mines
Having signnlly failed at gambling. Us well as
al other tricks that he hud tried, he concluded
To become real estate operator. He pitched
upon the present site of Hamilton. Bv pure
good luck ba hold his cnim. and lealt ont his
plantation into town lots. which Increased in
value with magical raIIdity. This proved To
hr hts winning "acHl - - he bec,fne rich
and and Of course respectable" Indeed he
was quite Il gentleman III White Pine, and did
/ nothing very glazing except To- t0HpprOpTiato an
other mans wife. Last summer he, too, went
I down to the Bay" and purchased u fine
rlilcll near San Jose. for which he paid $50
/ coo. Probably he can now visit Idaho rs tho
. wealthy Mr.. -, and not rs the bush.
/ whackIng. hullwhacking Jack, who was oord-
/ ally invited 20 make himself scarce" in
! Idaho. II this is not genuine case of luck
| then what isit? Surely IT is not due To any
| good qualities or merit the man himself. /
/ we'll know genial kiud-hcurted Chap, who at
one time possessed money, town lots and
. teams, whom | afterwards saw prupclling
mules mp and down Treasure Hill for a livcl-
/ hood, seemingly quite as happy as when "in
/ luck" There was nnotherichnp who was coli
| sidercd one of the lucky ones in White Pine
whom met in Elko. He event through" at
/ White Pine tried the new district. Cope. and
walked back to Elko without dollar. When
| | met him he had Just "COrnlled" square
meal for the first time in many days. and
assured me that he paid for that in Jaw
! bone" which simply means that he talked to
/ the vcndcr of hash like parson or Dutch
/ uncle.
| nm altogether TO well reminded of another
/ poor devil, who knows what luck is, at least
| in White Pine. He, too, had u brief honr Of
happy expectations and bright dreams of
| riches and rcspcctability. But those sad sis-
/ tcrs-the FRtos---were too mucli for him. In
othor words he was not born lucky, and If any
| irst.class bad luck was laying around loose
he was sure to get his full share of the mr.
/ ticlc. ........'.
/ Rctrospcction Is highly edfying when ono
/ has been such an inspired ass As 10 let every
| golden opportunity alp from his grasp.
! The ups and downs Of mining region
are an amusing and philosophical study. Pure
/ luck there reigns supreme, for the careless.
registering hulwhacker is as linblo to make n
"big strike asis the most intelligent, indusri.
! ous, sobcr-mindod man.
/ P Luck Is q gay and festive old fellow, md
wa may as we'll pnt np With his mad pranks
! with the best possible huinDr, though ii is put
every ono who can take such as coolly ms did
the old fellow in Montana, who. when in
formed that his son had beon hung by tile
"vigilnntcs," merely said, "Blls out oi
luck" '.r. NED.