Eureka daily sentinel. [volume] (Eureka, Nev.) 1871-1887, 1881-07-31
NAPIAS JIM.
The First DiscOverer of silver i'm
White Pine Visits Eureka.


White Pine Visits Eureka.
Napias is the Shoshone name for silver
or money. In the Summer of 1867 AL.
feathers was working at the Newark mill,
just over the Diamond range from Eureka.
AL, being a prospector, it was his custom
to test all the odd bits of ore he got hold
of in the .blacksmith's forge at the mill.
A spry, intelligent young Indian, whom
the whites had christened jim, took a
lively interest in these experiments. He
had been born at Bull Springs, and had
grown to manhood on the pine nuts of
White Pine mountain and the jack rabbits
of Newark Valley. AS a result he knew
every inch of the country for forty miles
around. One day, finding feathers ex-
perimenting with ores. Jim told him he
knew where there was immense quantities
Of the same kind of rock on White Pine
mountain. feathers listened to his story
and arranged to go with him to the spot
on the following Sunday, agreeing to give
the Indian a sack of -four and $50 in
money If conducted to a paying ledge.
The two crossed the valley together and
made direct for Treasure Hill, the highest
peak on the White Pine range in that Sec
ton. Jim was right in bis judgment of silver
bearing ore and led the way straight to
what feathers named the Hidden Treasure
mine. Within a year from that date the
fabulous wealth of the White Pine mines
had spread throughout the length and
breadth of the land, and people began
1ocking by the thousands from all direc-
lions to the poor mans paradise" as the
new district was called in the early days.
From his connection with this discovery
of silver the Indians thereafter applied
to Leathers' companion the name of
Napias Jim, aud by this appellation he has
since been known, both among the whites
and reds. Naturally, a warm friendship
grew up between feathers and Napias,
which exists until this day. feathers
never failed to lend Napias a helping hand
whenever he found him in a close place
in the matter OF a depleted exchequer-
which was quite often.
The writer of this had the honor Of
meeting the aboriginal prospector and
expert in White Pine in 1868. The social
relations and mutual acquaintance then
formed has been maintained through all
the intervening years.
Napias Jim came over from White Pine
yesterday to pay a friendly visit to his
old friend Leathers. Failing to find him
he put in an appearance at the SENTINEL
office, where he was received and greeted
with that degree of consideration and
cordially due so distinguished a person
age. An hour or more was pleasantly
passed in the mutual interchange of rem
iniscenses regarding the rise and fall Of
the once famous White Pine District. He
remarked, among other things, that when
he reflected upon the ruin which his dis
covery had wrought that he was some
inn sorry that he had ever taken Leath-
ers to that napias lead on Treasure Peak.
In reply We soothed his uututored
mind with assurances hat his dis
covery had been the means of
populating the entire eastern half Of the
great Battle-born State. In short, we told
him that he had been a public benefactor,
and the whites owed him a debt of the
deepest gratitude. When he found that
we considered something was due him, he
promptly demanded to know chow much"
1t was in vain that we attempted to i'm
press upon his mind that editors, as a rule,
are not millionaires, and so we had to fork
over a temporary loan of four bits as a con-
dition precedent to the exit of our noted
visitor.
Napias Jim has broken considerably in
thirteen years, and is no longer the nimble
Injun that he was when in the full flush
of his glory and success as the pioneer
~prospector Of the Great East. He returns
this morning to his native heath amid the
pogonip peaks of White Pine Mountain.
In consideration of the benefits which he
has conferred upon mankind, in causing
the wilderness in this end OF the State to
be subdued and the mountains to yield
treasured millions, the SENTINEL sincerely
hopes that he may make the trip without
blistering his feet.