The Dillon tribune., 1884-08-16
Rough Times and Scarcity Of Grub The
Ophir Wood Pfle-Pat and the
observation-disclosures
Virginia City Enterprlse.l


tough ON the Ccmstock. The winter Of
$4,000 was terribly severe, as all old set
Tiers will remember. Supplies could not
be brought over the mountains from Cali
lornia, and before spring many on the
Comstock went hungry to bed about three
nights in the week. That winter Jolly |
crowd made their headquarters in a cabin
that stood ON the hillside above the Oplir
Office, near the California shaft. The cabin
was sort of cave. In entering it one went
down two steps. The roof was composed
of LAYER of brush, a stratum Of dirt, and
over this canvass cover to hold 1t all in
place. The cabin contained four hunks,
two on the south and two on the north
side. John Mackey had the lower bunk
on the north side and Alexander Kennedy
slept in the upper one. Pat S. Corbett-
at present United States Marshal Corbett
and Jack O'Brien occupied the south
hunks.
At that time Mackev, Kennedy and 9TH
ers were running the Union tunnel, and
were working every day. As times grew
rough and grub scarce, the number OF
lodgers in the cabin increased. Jack Nc
Gallery was taken in on the understanding
that he was to furnish wood for the house
hold, and Johnny Walker in consideration
of his doing all the cooking. The new
corners brought their blankets and slept on
the floor. Virginia City was then town
of shanties and canvass tents, and It was
good to find shelter anywhere. Lumber
being 5000 per 1000 feet, palaces were not
to be expected.
As the winter wore away provisions OF
all kinds became scarce, and famine prices
ruled for time early in the spring. For
few davs a square meal "down town cost
S.. Those of the boys in the cabin who
started in with little money had either
got to the end of their string in keeping up
their part of the expenses or had gambled
off their coin.
Jack Mccartney, who was to furnish
wood, began to make night raids on the
wood piles of the neighbors in order to
keep up his part of the cabin supplies, and
the weather being cold, he was sometimes
prowling about half the night, though the
Ophir wool.pile was his chief dependence.
One stormy night Jack was SO long out that
his cabin mates grew uneasy about him.
Johnny Walker, the cook, said Jack had
WHISPERED in his ear as he left that he was
going to the Ophir wood-pile. A search
party was sent out, and to their inquiring
whispers they finally got a faint reply.
Following up the sound, they presently
came upon poor Jack. Blinded by the driv-
ing snow, he and big stick from the Ophir
had tumbled together into prospect shaft
With the stick of wood on end add stand.
ing on top of it, Jacks extended hand still
failed to reach the top Of the shaft BY about
two feet. He was hauled out, bruised and
/ nearly frozen. Next morning there was
no wood with which to cook breakfast, but
as there was not much to cook, board OF
| two from the hunks furnished sufficient
fuel.
Finally, hunger got into the cabin, and
not man except Mackey had cent o.
money. An attempt to starve the more
shiftless into "hustling for grub" had prov
ed failure; they could do nothing, and
laving back on their blankets: gave up, like
some of those whom we read among the
explorers in the Arctic regions. The cook
had an easy time OF it, and, as Sancht
Panza says, the belief of all began te
think their threats were cut. BY this time
some provisions were beginning to b
packed in, but prices were fearfully nigh
Mackey had just $40 left--it was all thu
money he had in the world. Here, Pat,
said he to Corbett, handing him 20 ane
/ 10 in gold, Ego out and see if you can flnt
a sack of flour"
/ A man had packed in from Placervlll'
that day, and Pat found him near wher'
the Bank of California now stands.
was all plaza then-all open country ant
sagebrush along the present line OF :
street. The packer had justcae fifty-pouns
! sack Of flour left. The price was Sac. Pa
handed the Placervillian the gold, got bac'
| S. in silver, and shouidering his hou
climbed the hill TO the canyon. Macke,
took the So and giving it to the cook, sen
. him in search of bacon, tea and sugar
When the flapjacks began tc brown, ant
the SAVIOR Of the bacon pervaded the cabin
the spirits Of both the regular inmates ant
transient boarders went up 70 the TAI
weather notch and It seemed that there wa
nothing more in the world 70 be desired.