The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1876-06-22
LIFE IN NEVADA.


Some 1000 miles west of Chicago lies
Virginia City, the metropolis of the sill
vel State. Hanging to the steep side of
Mount Davidson, it is indeed wonder
full city. Approach it from the north,
the Gelger grades, and on swinging
around sharp bend in the road, the
city suddenly appears before you with
it's immense hoisting works, its closely
built houses, and its teeming streets.
Approach it from the south by the Vir-
ginia and Truckee railroad, and after
passing through innumerable tunnels,
the visitor finds himself quietly riding
through the heart of the city, past the
hosting works, with their high trestles
and great "dumps." He steps from the
car, takes his valise in his hand, and
with shortened breath tolls up the steep
street, looking vainly for a hotel. The
Virginian seems to take pleasure i'll in
forming the ira veler that there is no
hotel. " Burned down in the big fire,
and not yet rebuilt" he says to him;
"walk up the street and you will find
some lodging houses, where, if this is a
lucky day for you, you will find room
and bed, and you can get your grub at
one of the restaurants or saloons" The
unfortunate traveller elbows his way
through the crowded streets, and at last
his longing eyes are greeted with
printed sign which gives him the de-
sired information that within are
A." furnished rooms to let"
He goes in, and is, perchance, shown
| by the landlady dingy littl den, which
ho is told he can occupy for the sum OF
three dollars per day, payable in ad-
vance," Having secured place to sleep
the next thing is to find place to eat.
In this there is no difficulty. The city
abounds in restaurants, chop houses,
and lunch counters, of various degrees
| of excellence or execrableness.
| Virginia, although city of nearly
10000 inhabitants, does not cover more
than a square mile of ground. The
houses are compactly built, and very
little room is given to yards, etc. They
are generally standing on the very edge
of the street, and occupy as small a
space as possible, built principally of
wood, light frame structures, lined with
cloth and paper, and have stovepipe
running up through the roof in lieu of q
chimney. Owing to the situation of the
town on the hillside, you have a full
view from your window OF what is going
on at your neighbor's some forty feet
below you on the next street. The only
drawback to this pleasure is the knowl-
edge that your neighbor on the street
abo has the same advantage over you.
The principal business street is lined
most of the way with brick buildings,
some of which would be a credit to an
Eastern city. The great fire of Oct. 20,
1875, burned nearly all the better por-
ton of the city, but it has been rebuilt
50 rapidly that @ street shows very few
tracks of the fire.
There are q number of ele ant resi-
dences being built in the upper part Of
this vast mining camp that would be an
ornament to any city, but unfortunately
for appearances a great majority of the
dwelling houses are of the class men
, toned above.
G street, the promenade and loungine
place of two-thirds of Virginia, is little
over mile long. A stranger passing
down the street in the evening wonders
where all the people come from. AS he
struggles through the crowd, passing
the gorgeous saloons, his ears catch the
rattle of the faro checks, the clink of the
coin, and the stentorian voice OF the
gentlemanly caller of the faro game
, while on the opposite side of the street
{ two braying brass bands call attention
, to the performances at the theater anG
at the varieties, Virginia strikes him a.
being an unusually lively and very
wicked city. The principal business
a seems to be gambling and selling
. whisky. All of the frst-class saloons
{ have their faro games. They are con
! Quoted in the most open manner. Th'
, last Legislature did, believe, pass
q law providing that banking game
q should be conducted only in bacl
! rooms; consequently, a slight screel
s door prevents the players from being
seen from the street. The games ar
!. run night and day, and are alway
$ crowded. The groups of loungers OF
r the sidewalks are composed principall
v of miners off duty, "bummers ant
hangers,on of faro games. They STAN
in front of the saloons with their hand
in their pockets, their pipes or cigars i
their mouths, frequently blocking u
: the entire sidewalk, and if you want t
q pass you can go into the street.
e There are nearly one hundred saloon
a nc street alone, and they all seem
be making money. The proprietors {
l. some of these places are among the mos
S prominent citizens. The man who sell
g whisky is the man of influence. II
has money, lives in style, and drives
It fine team. All of these things are pas
IS ports to the favor of society. The ba
It keeper is "mixologist," and the art
= Gle he sells you is the "pure stuff" II
deed, the old forty miner will te
It you that it is of no use for the dealer
/ to send poor or adulterated liquor her
n "Tho people will not drink it. The
j. are willing to pay for the best, sir, an
Il they will have it," Nevertheless, su
pect from some small experience of N
3, own that large quantity of the whisI
IS is very crooked. The old forty-nine
1t as a general thing, is copper lineC
Nothing short of "sheep herder's d.
], light quite touches the spot. F.
q California wines, and in fact any class
r wine, he has great contempt. If
d indulges in any, it must be the impol
IL ed article. Drinking is almost unive
at sal. When you meet a friend in Il
le street, or are introduced to a gentlema
er the first proposition is to "take som
30 thing"
" The great object of interest to II
visitor is the mines. Commencing abo
mile north of the city, they extend
a southerly direction four or five mil
10 through Virginia, Gold Hill, and Silv
(. City. The largest mines lie undernea
/ Virginia and Gold Hill. Though only
Ia few of them are producing bullion, tn