Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1879-01-13
censrocK G.ArnIcALIrrEs.

Correspondents. particularly new
corners from the East. writing from the
Comstock. give rather flowing and bril-
liant ideas OF this section sometimes.
hitting tho truth n little occasionally.
bu. rejecting their own impressions in
a style rather amusing to old residsnts.
Zip" a correspondent Of the New
York Graphic. writes a lively and anus.
ing letter from Virginia City. under date
Of December II. from which w mako
the following extracts:
The old mining camp Of the days Of
40 il not to be found on the Comstock.
The visitor will find here no ancient
miner with e~rizzled head industriously
washing ont the sand Of the canyon In
search OF the sparkling treasure which II
contains. Those days are long since
passed. On the spot where the old
fashioned miner shook his rusty pan
now stands 4 large and populous city.
Its streets are filed with men. women
and children. hurrying eagerly to and
fro a. intent on business as are the thou
sands who throug the highways OF New
York. The ladies are all well and neatly
dressed. The latest fashions from Paris
and London are displayed In the shop
windows aud on the walking figures in the
streets. You will nowhere ind more
''style" exhibited than right here on tho
Comstock. Brilliant e~quipages are con-
tinually dAshing past you As you walk
along Q street. and some Of the private
residences ON ID street rival In elegance
and costliness the most magnificent Of
your palaces on Fifth avenue.
LANDSCAPE.
All around are bare, barren mountains.
Not . tree or . shrub Of any kind save the
ever-present and monotonous ~sagebrush 10
10 be seen. A more unforbidding country
for men TO congregste together in cannot
DO found In the entire world. And yet In
the midst Of all this desolAtion Of nature
q city Of some $4,000 inhabitants has
sprung up, and whatever there Is Of lux
ury or refinement In the civilized world
can be found In this desert spot.
WHISKY pnrSKISo.
The main streets OF this city ON the hill
are tlled with business houses Of all des-
criptions. one feature OF the business
done will strike the visitor with amaze
ment. lie will hnd that every other door
Il tho entrance 10 q saloon. aud more
empty barrels than dry goods boxes are
piled upon the sidewalks. The fact 10 that
whisky 10 the beverage u Virginia and
Gold Hill. Water IL esteemed ss useful in
its way and coffee IL occasionally drank.
but never until the morning cocktail has
prepared the stomach for an unusually
strong drink. The boys begin to drink
whisky young : the men continue to drink
whisky when they are old and the women
drink whisky In the privacy Of their wi
homes. The barkeeper like tho miner
works night and DAY. aud the doors VI tho
saloon are never closed. There is plenty
Of patronage from six In the morning To
sir the next morning. and . good saloon
In q popular place will prove a surcr bon
Anza than any mine which has TO be sought
for by the prospectors's pick and shovel.
And yet with all this drinking 1t 10 very
seldom that . drunken man 10 to be seen
on the streets. Occasionally . pedestrian
Is seen 10 stagger slightly. but his friend,
tho lamp post. advances 10 meet him, Q
short embrace follows. and he Of the mud
died brain proceeds on his way a. serenely
a. ever. have never been able to account
for this fact. Whether tho light mountain
air is responsible for the want Of effect
which whisky seems 10 have upon the
average man or whether the whisky itself
IL too weak to produce intoxication, l can
not say. But / do know that men drink
all day long here and do not get drunk.
Possibly this fact may induce some Of my
readers with q weakness for the bowl TO
smigrais TO this paradise Of drinkers.
t"Zip" evidently writes FROM expert
encs in this matter. sndii he is the per-
son We think he is. it is a great waste Of
good whiskey to try to set him drunk.
He is ire-proof.-ED. NEws.
A GAMBLING PAasoN.
There Ia nothing disgraceful In gambling
In this community. The reputed owner Of
the heaviest game in Gold Hill 10 = mem
Der 81 the Methodist Church, sings revival
hymns with deep JUNCTION. and At the late
election was chos.n State Senator over .
very worthy gentleman and merchant.
This will serve to show the estimation In
which gamblers arc held here. They are,
80 10 speak, the cream Of the land.
THE OLD PIONEER
The most important character 10 be met
with on the Comstoek Is the old pioneer.
You will meet . score or 80 In every bar
room men who seem to have but two oc.
equations In life-to guxzle bad whisky
and 10 tell you long stories Of how they
came TO the Comstock in 40 and grew up
with the country" They are the men
who started from their homes when the
gold excitement first broke out in Califor-
mia. and they have never returned TO them
since. II you will take their word Tor IL.
every one Of them was tho first man who
set biz, foot on Mount Davidson. and every
mine now being worked was originally To-
Gated by some one Of them. Some Of them
arc honest In their claims and ali are sin.
cere. They have told tho story 30 often
that they have really come 10 believe IL
themselves. They are q harmless got Of
men. supported as . matter Of pride by the
citizens OF Virginia and Gold Hill. They
make their homes in the bar-rooms where
lunches are free and as everybody knows
them they get all they want TO drink during
the day. Where they sleep at night or
whether they ever sleep no man within my
has yet discovered. They are
In good faith as an ornament to the
which supports them. and
when they die. which IL very seldom. .
decent burial Is accorded them BY the Pio-
neer Society. which comprises old timers