Eureka daily sentinel. [volume] (Eureka, Nev.) 1871-1887, 1878-12-18
yTnGTNIA CITY.


The Comstock correspondent Of a Cali
fornia exchange draws o not fatfering pic
ture Of Virginia City. He seems to think,
A do a great many other well meaning peo-
nile, that the interests Of the Bonanza firm
are inimical to the interest Of the city. He
takes the buncombe side Of the question,
Just Is political parties sometimes do to
"cstch votes" There is nothing in all
this, except a want Of honesty. The truth
l. that Whatever of prosperity the western
portion Of the State to-day enjoys is due
to tho enterprise Of this same firm. Their
operations are immense. They give en-
ployment directly and indirectly to over
1000 men. They W n majority OF the
mines on the great lode. While extracting
but little bullion, they are pouring millions
back into reproductive mines. They
make business for everybody = the
merchant. the laborer. the rancher, the
lnmberman and all. No matter whether
their mines pay or not, the thousands
necessary to work them are always forth
coming at the end Of every month. Who
is there able to shoulder and carry this
immense load but the Bonanza firm? Who
il there that would undertake it il pos
sessed Of the means? A half dozen
counties in the west are directly dependent
upon the Bonanza people. In a word, they
are standing under the whole fabric in
more than one half Of the State. Such o
Arm, We submit. is more deserving Of the
praise than the censure Of fair minded
men. OF course the Bonanza firm is not
doing all this for glory. By their opera
tons they are trying to help themselves,
and in SO doing they help others. But
speaking Of Virginia City, here is what the
correspondent aforesaid has to say:
The pulsations Of its argentifcrous heart
are felt throughout the nation. and the
money centers Of the world even are in
sympathy with its mighty labors. In itself
and to itself it Is q city Of great expecta-
tions. Its permanency is beyond all ques-
ton, save that perhaps Of some great con-
vulsion Of nature--its productive richness
SO certain that human cavil cannot harm
Tits prosperity, its legitimate material
welfare, its every branch Of business, and
oven its physical well-being are yet subject
10 the beck and call Of q small coterie of
capitalists whose hearts are in the deep
bottom of their plethoric Golfers. From
the foregoing it may perhaps be
thought that FOUR correspondent had
been "cinched" in Sierra Nevada,
but such is not the case. 1t is literally
true that three or four men have it in their
power to produce o panic, through their
hold upon the mining interest Of this city
and county, that would paralyze all classes
Of legitimate industry upon this coast,
whenever it may suit their very sweet wills
90 to do. The recent deal in Sierra Nevada
is an illustration of this, and was simply
an indication of their power. This city is
IL their clutches. They pay good wages,
snd they can well afford to, for. as a rule,
the men they employ are generous enough
to give all back in the way 81 assessments,
OF else are constrained to contribute their
last cent in the vain attempt to save them
selves after some disastrous deal. And SO
II goes. Now and then we hear Of some
one who il fortunate enough to get out Of
the middle with q few thousand dollars
some one who, by reason Of his insignif-
cspce, has escaped the notice of the dealer
-but in this, as in any other gam
bling, the per centage is always in
favor Of the game, as n~ine-tenths Of this
community, male and female, can attest.
Essentially q gambling city, business and
social customs conform to the social spirit.
Al the the prosperity Of fireplace does not
depend upon the undoubted richness OF
mines or their unlimited production. but
rather upon the fictitious values which
their shares are permitted to assume by
the parties in control, so everything is
npon an equally false basis. Men rich one
month and beggered the next have no set
tied habits Of life, and serve only the ends
and aims Of the gambling ~monopolists
who use them. Yet Notwithstanding this
unnatural, or rather unhealthy state Of
khings, and oppressed by the most grasping
monopoly in existence, Virginia
has grown steadily in population and re-
source. Old residents speak hopefully Of
the future. while deploring the thraldom
of the present, and some are enthusiastic
enough to think in ten years its voting
population will be doubled.