The silver state. [volume] (Unionville, Nev.) 1870-1903, 1882-05-06
DISCO yERERs OF MINES.
The Fate OF several or the Most Noted
Pr0speetors.

The superstitious belief says the
Bodie Free Press. 70 an - wrtn
the early inhabitants Of Pacific Coast
mining towns that unless the discover
er OF a camp meets an untimely or
bloody end the place of his creation
will not descend into the future as one
OF the "excitements. This idea seems
to be not without foundation, wherever
it originated. OF thrtyeight ''boom-
ing" camps in early days, the locators
of twelve were killed by the bullet, one
caved into deep shaft, and majority
OF the Others drifted with thes tide of
emigration into Oblivion. or died and
were buried in paupers' graves.
"Old Virginny." who donated an ev-
erlasting name to that queen OF mining
camps, Virginia City, came to his death
by an ''over" dose from bucking mule,
near Dayton, and the no less noted
Comstock died by bullet self-adminis-
tetcu ih nouthua, anu, hhS siS picuc-
cessor, he died financially broke. Col.
Storey, whose name that county adopt
ed, was killed in battle by the Pyramid
Lake Indians. Billy Farrell. who struck
Meadow Lake, died victim to remorse
in one Of the leading hospitals Of San
Francisco, haunted by the spirits of
thousand deluded pioneers and pros
pectors passing and repassing at the foot
of his bed. He made no confession.
His name is household word. His
grave lies side by side with that OF
Doughnut Bill in Lone Mountain Gene
terry, where he was planted in 1868.
The locator Of the first find in Phoebe
is said to have stopped stage load Of
shotgun messengers early in the Black
Hills excitement, and rumor says that
he was buried alongside a boulder not
far from the road. kelse Austin,
whose name is attached to one of Ne
vada's pioneer mining towns, is an
chored in northeastern Elko county,
and is probably no nearer the golden
goal than the legion of early settlers
who surround him. OF those who first
uncovered the "lead in the White Pine
mines, the world knows little. A lone
grave under white pine tree tells a
chapter in the tale
OF Eurekas first inhabitant nothing
also is told US. but it is safe to surmise
that few nuggets weighted down his
blankets as he walked over the grade.
Tuscarora was the work OF an insane
emigrant from Massachusetts,. Legend
locates his tombstone near the adobe
ruins of the old townsite, but those
posted infer that he atoned for his mis-
deed by sinking himself to the bottom
Of the headwaters Of the Owyhee, If,
indeed, he did not fall into the hands
OF determined vigilance committee.
Aurora started good sized graveyard
with her ''oldest iuhabitant." Billy
Body slept himself away" in a snow
storm a few miles from the present
writing. When his memory had
reached the age Of twenty years his
bones were resurected, and after being
paraded at the head Of procession Of
tenderfeet through the town after his
own name, they were identified by his
old comrades and buried with imposing
ceremony among the bad men from
Bodie." A monument was raised to
his memory, and it still stands unpaid
Tor in the stone.cutters yard.
Homer, Of Homer District, followed
IN the suicidal tracks Of Comstock, and
after squandering small fortune. shot
his brains out in the streets of San
francisco. These are but a few OF
many instances, but the fates that have
befallen the many who have ventured
IN the discovery OF new lodes, and sue
eeeded, bear the old timers out in the
belief that still has existence in not q