Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1873-05-16
kAnLY TINES.

One Of the first settlers In Gold Hill,
was Solomon WE'LL, who still resides
in our midst. From him we have OBJ
tanned some particulars In regard to
the early settlement OF the county
which may be Of interest to our readers.
Mr.. WE'LL came to Carson Valley In
1858 and stopped at a place called Nor
mon station. In 1851, Col. Reese put
up the first cabin In what Is now known
as Genoa. Mr.. Mott . partner OF
Wells built during the year % saw.
mill In Woodford Canyon, on the Old
route from Carson to Placervilie: Ia
the month of June '03, MIR. Veil
started a trading post In Carson Val,
lev and also one In Hope Valley, u
commenced trading with emigrants.
In the Spring Of "a, In company with
| some other parties he began prospect
inc for gold on the east fork Of the
| Carson river. Ten or twelve compan-
| leo went TO work about the same time,
and made from q to IS per day.
| Gold was worth to the man xlS an
ounce. In 1855 q company OF 80 or Az
| Mormons came from Salt Lake anu
took up ranches in Carson Valley,
| Eagle Valley, Jacks Valley and Frank
town. AT that time the entire Terri
tory was under Mormon jurisdiction.
When General johnson invaded Utah
In 1851, Brigham Young ordered the
| Mormon settlers In the Carson Valley
10 return to Salt Lake City. They
obeyed the summons, disposing of their
property for whatever they could get
| or it and quitting the country. AZ
That time Mr.. Well was keeping q
trading post in Carson Valley, and
used to pack butter over to Placervii'e
| on mules and exchange 1t for goods:
As early as 81 from 100 to lou min
es were engaged In working surface
diyginrs In Gold Canyon at a place
called Johntowu. Mr.. WE'LL paid
them sl8 an ounce for gold. In 1858
the above named gentleman brought
the first iustallment Of Chinamen over
the mountains. There were % or ~
of them In all. They went to work a.
DAYTON, the miners who were work
ing at Johntown refusing TO allow
them to come up Gold Canyon.
During tho same year a party OF
miners from Johntown went over 70
Six-mile Canyon and commenced
working some surface diggings near
what Is now the Nevada MILL. They
made from s. to 81 q day. SOL" as
he was familiarity called, followed
them up with goods and established o
trading post In the vicinity. Old
:. Virginia." was one Of the party, and
was, according to all accounts. an in-
vetsrate prospector. During MS pros,
pectlng excursions he always carried
his u on his shoulder and aimed
70 keep In advance of civilization. 10
him probably q, much as to any other
man in due tho credit Of discovering
the Com.tock lode. The first discovery
of silver was made in the vicinity OF
the Ophir hoisting works. 1t IS re-
ported that Comstock purchased his ill.,
terest In the mines at a small figure,
the consideration being an old horse.
Our miners at that time knew little or
nothing about silver. Capt. Walsh,
who came over from California In 90
cent specimens of the dark colored ore
70 San Francisco to be assayed. AS
soon as the news Of the marvellous
richness of the Comstock silver mines
WAS noissd abroad, al immense tide oil
immigration turned Virginlsward.
During the Spring Of '5S William
and Alexander Henderson, In CON-
PAW with four or five other miners;
prospected along up Gold canyon ano
| discovered the Gold Hill mines. Inc
| richest discoveries were made In the
vicinity Of the Eclipse and Bowers
mines. The men who first worked
those claim. made all the way from you
to $500 q piece, working only two or
three hours per day. Rockers were
used in separating the gold from the
gravel, the tailings being Afterwards
crushed In arastras.
The first building erected In Gold
| HIll was a cabin which was brought up
ram ,Johntown In '5S, by Nick Am
brose. IL stood a short distance north
of what Is now the Eclipse Stable, n
was occupied by Fl. T. Ramp as a
saloon. In the Summer OF '5S Mrs.
Bowers tNee Cowau) built a log
cabin. In G Of the above named
stables and kept boardsrs. Sir. Bow
err. her husband owned 10 feet In the
mine which bears his name, and Mrs.
Bowers purchased 10 ieet more from a
man by the name of Rogers. IL was
at the time, undoubtedly the richest
gold producing mine in the world.
The first homicide in Gold Hill &C,
Cured In so. The victim was buried
ia the middle of this road In the vleln-
ity Of the present Crown Point hoist
ing works. ,,,,,
nv Charles Cooyer. They stood just
below the Sunderland mill.
Among the early settlers were WIN.
Dolmsn, Robert Henderson, MIR: john
son. Mr. Bishop aud Abram House
worth. .,
Did time and space permit we would
be glad TO collate more incidents con
nected with that wonderful aurifsrous
epoch, when it lay within the power
of the humbless laborer to amass an
untold fortune.
Orr THE TRAcK.-The locomotive
h n1n