The Daily state register. [volume] (Carson City, Nev.) 1870-1872, 1871-07-29
WARRINGTON CORRESPONDENCE.
WASHINGTON, d.. C., July 10, 1871.
DEATH OF CAPT. JOHN NYE.

we'll known by all Pacific Slopers VS.
iting Washington for his genial, gen.
erous disposition, being aver ready to
impart information, of which he had
an abundance, of the kind useful to
strangers in these parts, died at his
residence on Pennsylvania Avenue,
after a brief illness, aged about IS
years He was a native Of Madison
acted in the capacity of commander of
river steamers, where he derived his
title of Captain. A meeting of the
Pacific States visitors and residents in
Washington was held at the Ebbitt
House to make arrangements for the
funeral ceremonies of deceased, when
Charles F. Stansberry, G. w. NJ. of
the Masonic Fraternity of this Dis
trict, announced that the Order, of
which Captain Nye was a member,
would bury him with Masonic honors
from their Temple, in compliance with
a request made by deceased previous
to his death. The meeting acquiesced
in the arrangement, and appointed a
committee consisting of Gen. H. NJ.
Robert, U. S. A., ex-Chief Justice J.
Nelly johnson and Col. J. c. Mckib-
ben, tt draft resolutions of coincidence
to be forwarded to relatives of the de-
ceased.
Among those present were ex-Gov-
ernor j. Nicely Johnson, late Chief
Justice of the Supreme Court OF Ne
vada; Hon. C. w. Kendall, NJ. C. of
Nevada; Gen. H. NJ. Robert, L. S. A.;
Judge McCorkle and J. c. Mckibben,
ex-M. C's. of California;; Charles Nye,
son of the Senator; E. o. F. Hastings,
Z. A. Protois, John Altman, and many
warm personal friends of Capt. Nye,
residents of this city. A series of
friendly remarks expressive of the
genuine worth and good qualities of
Capt. Nye were made by those pres
ent. John Altman, formerly of Nir-
ginia City, related to me an incident of
early days which will serve to show
the chivalrous disposition of the de
ceased. In 1851 a party of four young
miners arriving on the American
river, near Auburn, with a we'll filled
bag of dust which they had collected
in Siskiyou the previous season by
hard work, effected the purchase of a
mining claim which PANIED out well
in the ''prospect." 1t only required a
day or two, however. to convince the
boys that they had been mos eyre
Giously swindled. The claim had
been 'salted' lit is unnecessary to ex-
plain the meaning of that term now
and the BOYS found themselves '.out"
to the extent of all they possessed.
John Altman, the oldest boy of the
party-then only 10 year of age
sought the advice of a lawyer in the
premises. and while relating the facts
of the case, Captain Nye. who was
present, listened with great interest to
iiC -AltlpuSu d SIIdI1etI -
the boys, he Immediately proposed to
take the case out of the lawyers hands
without fee or reward, and in COM
pany with the youngsters proceeded
to the Crescent City Hotel, which es-
tablishment, it appears, had been pur-
chased by the ''salters' aforesaid from
the proceeds of the sale, and peremp-
torily demanded (hy virtue of author
ity hanging on his right hip-vulgarly
called a '.deranger') restitution of the
dust or a fight, ''then and thar!' The
Captain was too well known as a man
of cuisines" in the primitive era of
California civilization, before the
majesty OF law protected 'salting'
transactions. Time was too valuable
then to be expended in interminable
litigation over a clear case. To cut
short the story, the original owners.
without much parley, repurcha>ed
their mine for the sum paid by the
youngsters, less the amount of ">alt'
which had been planted. The boys
departed from the diggings as rich AS
when they came there, with a valuable
lesson to boot, and they still retain
grateful r~ecollectiOns of their generous
friend and counsellor, who alway>
kept alive iI his breast to his last day.
earth the war,neSt sympatilies for
the weak and the unfortunate, who
always found in good old Captain Nvr
a willing i~ntercessor, and 0flentimes a
potent me
HON.. c. w.