Lyon County times. [volume] (Silver City, Nev.) 1874-1907, 1888-05-19
FROM COMO.
Work to he Done This Snmmer-POny
u Candidate for Chief Engineer.
COMO, New, MAY nth, 1888.

Como, New, May nth, 1888.
Ed. TIMEs:--It is some time since have
dropped you a line. l will not make any
excuses further than to say that was wait
ing until could be reasonably sure that our
district, which has been kind Of foot ball
for impecunous miners to kick, was to have
fair and square show to stand or fall on its
own merits That time, | feel sure, has
come, and Como will soon take her place
as a bullion producing and prosperous min
ing camp. Why feel so confident l do
not know, except that it be some heahensh
idea that pitiless fate, having tortured and
Knocked us so long, will do us a good turn
now. Another, and perhaps more sensible
reason for my confidence in the future Of
the camp, is due to recent visit to the
Como Eureka mine, and witnessing the ex.
tensive preparations for sinking to a depth
that will prove whether we have any mines
in Gene or not. l, for one, am not afraid
of the result A visit to this mine now will
satisfy even the most incredulous croaker
that business, and nothing else, is meant
this time. An engine, no one horse donkey,
but one that would not be out OF place on
Comstock mine, with full set of boilers, is
being set up by the best mechanics to be
tihc manner How do know? Why, l at
one time ran an engine half day in Sutro's
null down by the Dayton bridge. This was
how it happened. | was driving Sutro S
team. He was not a millionaire then, and
| believed in utilizing his men to the fullest
extent, and as the team was idle that day he
said l must run the engine while Fritz, the
engineer, was repairing the bait In
vain | expostulated and acknowle dyed that
did not know piston rod from throttle
valve He said all had 10 do was to fire
up and keep the steam up to 90 pounds and
| that was all right. But how was | to know
whether the steam was at 90 or goo pounds?
| He showed me small clock and told me
| to keep the hands about where they were
then and she would be all right, and Fritz
would look in once in a while to see how
| she ran. At first | was a little timd; al
ways was about an engine unless she was
dead cold. After an hour or two, as she
did not blow up, l became coura geous and
piled in the wood until things began to hum.
Fntz would come in and open the furnace
doors and talk Dutch so earnestly that |
could not help but understandable m otiens
at least, and would let her cool down for a
while.
| have told you Of my mechanic al abili
ties not that it will interest you much, but
as kind Of free ad. for myself, which may
help me to the position of chief engineer at
| the Como Eureka mine.
Another reason for feeling sure that every
thing will be done according to "Corliss, :"
is that "Long Steve' is there 'tending ma
sons" and If they don't do it right he'll
| tell 'em you may be sure. | asked Steve.
how he liked the job, and he said he would
rather drive fourteen mule team with three
back-sctionS, without any swamper than
wait on two brick -masens. He said they
were like women. always wanting something
and added con6dentially that he believed
he would sooner vote the Democratic ticket,
| Cleveland, free wool and the demencti cation
of silver, than marry a mason. That is
about as Strong as he could put it, for we all
know that "LoEg Steve" is an American
and protectioRist from the soles of his No.
| I2's to the crewn Of his hat, and that is q
long distance.
From the present outlook they will be
ready to begin pumping in about ten days,
and in two weeks will begin sinking, which
will doubtless be done under contract and
pushed with vigor.
| 1t was the intention Of your reporter to
nave Salu something ABOUT the buckeye anu
its workings. In fact he did visit, the mine,
but after long underground walk through
dark tunnel, and darker drifts, to within a
few feet Of the face of the drift, he was met
| by big miner who cautiously invited him
| TO take rest as the Superintendent was
away and had left premptory orders that no
one should be admitted to the workings,
and he hoped l would not think hard of him
etc, etc. l assured him that it was all
right and perfectly satisfactery-that it was
at the recent and special invitation Of the
Superintendent that l was there, and as my
business was more of social than a bust
| ness nature it did not matter in the least,
and merely limited that notice at the en-.
| trance of the tunnel would save the curious
| ly inclined seekers after facts long walk
in the dark and himself the trouble of an
explanation. Pony.