Lyon County times. [volume] (Silver City, Nev.) 1874-1907, 1882-02-18
Dry District Habits.

dry districts are attracting attention
now that their rich mines are draw
ing travellers within their boundaries.
| The men who live in barren hills,
miles away from wood or water,
working their claims alone and cur
rying their ore on their shoulders to
some distant station, exhibit pluck
and energy worthy Of the rich re-
ward which some of them are now
obtaining for their years of patience
and toll. The life uf the dry district
prospe ctor is much harder rs rule
than that of any other. Every drop
of water he uses must be carried
long distance. Usually it is not of
the best TO begin with, and it Ger.
tainly does no. improve with age.
| Wood is also scarce rs a rule, and the
lonely miner is obliged to depend on
stunted growth of grease wood,
which while supplying fuel sufti
10 cook meal does not go far TO-
wards warming a cabin, or taking
the chill from the air around all out
door bed. Water being so scarce
washing is but an occasional relax
alton. The brackish water car
ried up from the nearest spring
is kept for drinking, but the
mountaineer learns 10 take nd
vantage of circumstances and also
learns to rise above the prejudices OF
inexperienced people. When snow
comes he is for time well supplied,
and often gives away to the prompt
ings Of former propenslties and
washes dishes, but the weight of
gallon of water after tramp of
many lies has taught him its value
when up in the hills, and the dish
water washes hands and dishes alter
nately tor many days. 1t is seldom
used for coffee because little more
trouble when there is snow enough
to mike dish water will furnish
enough to fill the coffee pot, and al
though the average prospector is not
epicureap, he has likes and dislikes,
as hsve other people, and much pre-
fers toe taste of coffee made from
clean snow water even at the expense
of extra labor. This occasional
waste of water is looked upon as le-
gitimate by most OF the inhabitants
of the dry districts, but waste of fuel
marks man as a shiftless new conner.
Every little piece of grease wood root
must do all the work it possibly can;
while the meal is being cooked or
the bread baked on cold evening
the fire is often moved In order to
allow tie cook to stand on the hot
ground where il was and keep his
feet warm. The Goals on top of the
bake oven boil the coffee, and some,
even after baking their bread in the
| evening put the warm loaves in the
blankets to keep their feet warm
during the night. Notwithstanding
the habits of economy engendered
by necessity, this latter custom is not
looked upon favorably by the major
ity of the dry district men, as it looks
too much like effeminacy, and har-
diness is to them both pride and
necessity. Economical as they are
where the nature of the circumstan,
ces compels, there is no more hospit-
able or generous class of men to be
found. The wayfarer freely receives
share of their bed, and is made well
come to bacon, bread and water,
articles which represent in those
places more of toll than can be un.
derstood by anyone who has not been
in the barren hills. Generous with
his provisions he is also generous
with his time and labor, and will un-
hesitatingly walk many toilsome
mile through canyon and over mount.
ain to show stranger the road to a
valuable MINIS which can be bought
cteaply, or to show him where he
can make good location for himself,
and in parting give him drink from
his scanty supply of water, which
may have been carried by him ever
weary wastes of alkali or squeezed
from snow balls with fingers numbed
by cold while his small pile of grease
wood is boarded to be used sharpen