Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1882-05-26
NORTHERN NEVADA.
HISTORICAL MATTERs-DIscovRRY OF
HUMBOLDT RIVER.
A Nptf Treaty-settlement of an OLD
}Controversy-The Pioneers
" Of Nevada
Correspondents Of the RECORD. UNION. !

lCOrre5pOnuence OF hECORD-UNIOS.l
QUEENS RIVER COUNTY, May l3, 1882.
In a former letter reference was made to
certain physical characteristics of northern
Nevada, and to the industrial pursuits and
resources of this region. Among other
matters reference was made to Mary's
river. Many will recollect, as children,
tracing on the old maps short, crooked
line-a sort of polywog wiggling in the
midst of peppered vacancy cy-emblazoned
American Desert" indicating q river
commencing nowhere and ending nowhere,
surrounded by country suggesting q
mostly disappeared SO has most Of
MARY's RIVER.
The scratched line is still there, and 30
is the river, but the name of the great
German naturalist has superseded that of
the squaw who had the honor of first CIV
ing it a distinctive designation. have
known men who insisted that the river
was called Humboldt, because Humboldt
discovered it. Washing off alkali dust in
the hot springs near Elko, men have been
heard to bless the name of Baron Won
Humboldt, and thank their good stars for
his keen eyesight for steam clouds. Yet
Humboldt never was within thousand
miles of this river. The explorer who did
not discover America succeeded in affixing
his name to it, like an epitaph on a tomb
stone and the man who never saw, and
possibly never heard of this river, found
a name here. 1t is rather a sorry reflection,
too, as has been suggested, that the only
geographical points which have been named
after the greatest of the travellers of two
continents, are solitary bay on the coast
of California and an Insignificant stream in
the interior of Nevada.
IT'S EARLIEST VISITORS
Are unknown. When it was first seen by
white men probably will never be ascer.
tanned The men who first struck out into
this untracked region were more accus-
toned to handling rifles than pens. There
were selfish reasons, too, for keeping
close mouth, even had communication been
possible. This was debatable ground.
Beaver and otter were swimming in the
waters, and these men were hunting for
furs. Giving away their geographical
knowledge would have been giving away
their daily hardtack and bacon. The
Canadian trappers of the Hudson Bay Fur
Company were prohibited from disclosing
the secrets of their expeditions. Its rival,
the Russian Fur Company, was not more
generous. The Astor American Fur Com
pany, and the later st. Louis companies of
trappers, were equally inter-
ested in secretly hunting out their own
sections, and silently making them profita-
Bile. This river was undoubtedly known
to these associated traders, and probably
to all of them, long before written history
commenced here; but nothing is now
known of their explorations, unless such
can be obtained by ransacking
the ancient letter-fles and official reports
slowed away in the dusty chests of the
home offices of those companies.
SOME ANTIQUARIAN
May some day round his literary ambition
by asserting the old records to be found
there, and writing a new history of those
comparatively dark ages. We know
something of the immense operations Of
those fur companies at the north and west
of this region for long time anterior to
1925, but nothing definite respecting this
particular section before that date. The
Russians were in California, as far south as
Bodega and San Francisco. They named
its majestic peak, Shasta. The French
names of all the prominent points in Idaho
attest the familiarity of the Canadian EN-.
ployes of the Hudson Bay Company far to
the east of old Fort Hall: Undoubtedly
they knew the Humboldt as well as the
Columbia. If so, they kept their knowl-
edge to themselves, for their own use.
Several nations claimed this country until
1919, and it was long time after that
date before the boundary line was sur
veyed. Each nationality did what was
right in his own sight, and caught or
bought as many furs as could be had for
love or money. 1t was one of these that
furnished the first known title to this
rivera little episode of