The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1879-03-20
OUT WEST.

| JOURNEYING ACROSS THE CONTINENT
THE GOLDEN GATE AND THE VALLEY!
THAT LIE BETWEEN.
Special Correspondence VIRGINIAN.
Travellers are always interested In the ode
names which have been given to many O.
the stations on the RAILROAD, and would
find their curiosity excited were they
to become familiar with the names Of
the towns scattered up and down thu
valleys-for there are towns of consid
cradle size and business scattered all
through these mountains and valleys, on
both sides of us; places which have sprung
into existence since the railroad was com.
pleted, and with their stirring, enterprising
inhabitants are every year crowding the
savages little further on and securing a foot
hold for civilization.
Beowawe is one Of our hating places
The word signifies ''the gate and the little
station stands at the very entrance to the
great Humboldt Valley.
Shoshone takes its name from a tribe Of
Indians, still living in the vicinity, and~Bat'
tie Mountain commentaries bloody fight
between emigrants and red men. Then fol
low Piute, Golgonda, and then Winnemuc.
ca, where we halt for day to look about as.
This town owes its name to the chief OF the
Piute tribe, and as it signifies chief, sap
pose it was given this place, because, being
the county-seat of Humboldt, it has a right
to expect to be the chief town in the valley.
Itisn't at all inviting in appearance, but l
business centre of some Importance. The
elements of prosperity are not within itself,
but are found in the fine agricultural, graz.
ing and mining districts which are tributary
to it. 1 met here parties from Paradise Val
ley, thirty miles distant, who told me that
not only are the hardy cereals grown most
successfully throughout that section, but that
experiments with fruits and flowers were
bringing most gratifying results. There are
vast tracts for cattle to roam over, and Ne
vada can boast as fine herds as enc finds on
the plains Of Wyoming. Every agricultural
product is in good demand and commands
the highest prices, as large portion of the
settlers devote all their energies to mining,
depending wholly upon the markets for their
supplies.
What is true of that particular section is
also true of the greater portion of the valleys
scattered between the mountains OF Nevada.
There are, of course, long stretches of bar
rem, alkali wastes which, if ever redeemed,
must wait until the fertile lands are all occu.
pied and our surplus population can find no
better, but there yet remains unsettled an
abundance of productive soil.
Winding away toward the north is the
road leading to the principal points in the
territory OF Idaho, which for the present at
least, will pay tribute to Winnemucca, as it
there finds an outlet for the product of its
mines and receives in return the necessary
supplies for its inhabitants. This trade is,
however, divided with Kelton, a point two
hundred miles further east.
The long line of freight wagons is Gu
riosity to eastern visitors. Two, four and
sometimes six of them, are fastened close to
gether, with the mules attached to the for
ward wagon. Swung on high axle trees,
covered with white cloth, they seem like
moving caravan, as they wind slowly around
tine hill, following the gray trail which leads
off to the mountains aud valleys beyond.
Were quite sure OF the patience of my
readers, could spin you yarns by the hour
of the hair breadth escapes of some of these
teamsters, but it would never do to reduce
them to the language of polite society
robbed of their frontier slang they would be
like mince pies without spice.
Hardly mountain rises up out of these
valleys in which there is not found good
paying ore, either of gold or silver, or some
OF the baser metals, and every year sees
more and more capital and enterprise
brought to their development. Mills for re-
ducing the ore are becoming more and more
plentiful and the mining camps are full of
activity.
Winnemucca has one ten-stamp quartz
mill, capable of reducing ten tons of ore
daily, Supplied with work by miners in the
vicinity. Two newspapers keep the people
supplied with information justice is dis
pensed within a commodous brick court
house, and the people boast Of one of the
best school houses along the line, capable
Of accommodating one hundred and fifty
pupils and free from debt.
am, however, compelled by a sense Of
justice to state that they omitted to tell me
that the said school house was built ard do
mated to the town by the Central Pacific
Railroad Company. Neither did they tell
me that the same corporation paid within the
county of Humboldt alone, in the year 1878,
the sum of thirty one hundred dollars toward
the support of schools along its line.
1t beats all how poor our memories grow
when it becomes the proper thing to DO to
cry down man or set Of men; and just now
it is the fashion to proclaim that nothing
good can come out Of this particular railroad
company.
Leaving Winnemuccl in the middle OF an
afternoon, our train goes on over the same
dull, monotonous country, across which We
look at the. mountains outlined against the
sky, and wonder If it will never end. When
night falls we halt at Humboldt station for
our supper. and there arises q universal ex-