Eureka weekly sentinel. [volume] (Eureka, Nev.) 1887-1902, 1888-03-03
COL. DAVID n. BUEL.


We learn that Col. David f. Bue
died recently in st. Louis in extreme
poverty. Col. Buel was a noted
figure on the Pacific Coast for thirt,
years and at one time was the lead.
ing mining operator Of Eastern Ne.
vada. He figured extensively and
prominently in the early days in the
mining affairs of Austin, Belmont and
Eureka. 1t was the firm Of Buel &
Bateman that gave Eureka its first
substantial upward start. They
bonded and placed in the San Fran
cisco market the Eureka Consolidated
mine tor the insignificant sum OF $5O.-
600. Both Buel and Bateman might
have become millionaires by holding
this magnificent property. They also
owned a portion OF the Eureka town.
site, out Of which they made consider
able money. Two Of our streets are
named after these pioneer operators.
They leave no other monuments of
their enterprise in this neighborhood,
although there was some talk at the
time of the foundation of our new
county of calling it Buel instead of
Eureka. Bateman died some years
ago, leaving quite a competence to his
family. Buel was less frugal and
threw his money TO the winds in
strong drink. His wife, who now re-
sides in San Francisco, was divorced
from him a good many years ago. But
Notwithstanding his weaknesses,
Dave Buel, as he was Familiarity
called, was a man of big things rather
than small. He possessed great
energy and unlimited enterprise, and
when in the prime of life, he never
failed TO impress himself on any
community in which he lived. His
first public exploit to attract general
attention to himself and his great
personality was the rescuing OF a
prisoner from a mob while Sheriff OF
FL Dorado county, California, away
back in the early fifties. A mob OF
several thousand had the rope around
the mans neck (he had killed a
woman and were just proceeding to
hang him, when Sheriff Buel,
mounted on a fleet horse, put in an
appearance and at once dashed to the
rescue OF the murderer. He did not
stop on the outer edge, or parley
with the crowd, but dashed into and
through it, commanding all to stand
back, proclaming in stentorian tones,
al am the Law officer OF this county,
and no number of men shall openly
violate the law" His presence and
speech were electrical. Half the
crowd were disposed to stand by him
and the other half were dazed and
disconnected, and cutting the rope
from about the victims neck he threw
him on his own horse and gave the
animal a lick that caused him to run
away with the prisoner to the Coloma
jail. His promptness and daring shows
what a determined officer, backed by
the law, can do with a mob bent IN
the violation Of the law. From that
day Dave Buel was a noted man on
the Pacific Coast. Accounts Of his
bravery filled the press and were on
every tongue for a long time. He
finally came to Nevada ard engaged
in mining at the places We have al
ready named. He was the second
Democratic candidate for Governor of
Nevada, in the Seymour campaign of
1868, in which he was defeated by
Henry G.. Blasdell, as was also our
first candidate, John ID. Winters, by
the same man. While not an intel
lectual man, in the cultured sense,
Col. Buel was a man of remarkably
strong native characteristics and en-
dowed with almost as much driving
power as a steam engine. He left
the world no worse off than he found
it, and many people were benefited by
his presence in the flesh even for the
all too brief period allotted to mortal
man. Peace TO his ashes.