Wichita eagle., 1890-01-11
SCENES FROM Ell DORADO.
EARLY DAY LIFE IN THE MINING
CAMPS OF THE ROCKIES.

Across the Desert with Ok Translates,
That Came High-Home Made Govern
ment and Law-Buckskin Sacks FILLED
| with Yellow Dust.
Swiftly slipping into the past are the early
days of the west. the sunny, humorous side of
which has been so wei portrayed by Mark
| Twain, the pathetic shadows Of which Bret
Harte made all his own The iron horse now
swiftly courses over the trail of clumsy OK
carts, and towns and villages rise where camp
fires were formerly built. The Jasons of the
| western hemisphere are already succumbing
to the hardships endured in their search for
the golden fleece. OF the many who went
from st. Paul but few have returned Among
| the fortunate few is Nathaniel P. Langford
| In 1862 that year darkened by the Sioux
massacre, northern overland expedition
| was made from st. Paul to Walla Walla I'M
| der the auspices OF the government to deter
mine the feasibility of establishing a stage
| line. large number Of emigrants delrous
of going to the Rockies gladly embraced this
| opportunity, so that when the expedition left
the Mississippi it contained fifty-three wagons
| and $50 people. Even this company of able
bodied men was no absolute guarantee of
| safety, for the caravan had hardly passed
Abercrombie when 1900 redskins actually
besieged the garrison that lay ensconced be-
hind the intrenchments. From June the OK
teams plodded along at the rate Of 100 miles
week for nineteen long weeks when camp
was at last pitched on the eastern slope Of
the Rockies. With this train was young
Langford, who was eager to see the west
and find a future there if possible
HIGH POSTAL RATES
About the time that camp was made at
Prickly Pear word came that gold had been
discovered at Grasshopper creek, and the Ar
gonauts, who had been bound for the Salmon
river mines on the western slope, at once
turned to the nearer fields. The news also
brought from the Pacific coast mines crowd
of roughs and Jail birds that descended upon
the new diggings like vultures upon their
prey. Here, In 1852, sprang up little settle
ment almost isolated from the world. The
nearest postofice was Salt Lake City, 400
miles away. Four young men, named Oliver,
Conover, Clayton and House, formed pony
express to bring in the longed for letters.
Clayton undertook the first trip, and was
murdered by the Indians. Then Conover set
out, but was captured and detained by them
until released through the intercession of
Ute whom he had once befriended, and
through whose influence he was ever after al
lowed to come and 60 unharmed.
In the meantime Oliver, undaunted by the
disappearance of his partners, had made a
successful trip and brought back the first
mail. Costly indeed was that first mail, for
every letter was charged so Subsequent
ly the price dropped to 81, but not during
this formative period did a letter enter Ban
mack, for so the settlement had been chris
tened, without tariff of 50 cents.
Hardly was the snow well off the ground,
in 1868, when gold was found in Alder gulch,
the famous gulch that within twelve months
yielded $4,000, 600 in free gold, or q, 1000 per
capita. This was in June and before No
vember Il, 600 people were turning up the
earth for distance of twelve miles In July
a town was organized and called Varina, but
it was soon changed to Virginia City. To
this golden valley Mr.. Langford proceeded
from Bannack, and was there an eye witness
Of some Of the unique phases Of western min
ing life.
No territory had yet been organized, and
the only law that existed was the law of self
preservation in it's application to communi
ties. Each camp elected judge, who ap-
pointed sheriff and held of1ceuntl deposed,
which event might happen any time on the
motion OF some disgruntied miner, II the ma
jority conceded with his views. This system
finally became so cumbersome that it was de-
cided to elect sheriff for the whole section,
and the first recipient of the popular suffrage
was the notorious ruffiau, Henry Plumnaer,
who made desperadoes bis deputies, and
whose gang within year killed 102 citixens
6o.j;
how many traces Of whom were never dis
covered. But Pummer's story Of crime has
been elsewhere related.
GOLD DUST MONEY.
Barter was naturally the method of e1-
change IN this rough, isolated section. The
golden dust dug from the earth was the only
legal tender. Every man carried in his pocket
a pair Of Troy scales, and when purchases had
been made, out came the buckskn pouch, and
its yellow contents were weighed over at the
rate Of an ounce for s1s, pennywetght for
ninety cents, and pennyweight and three
grains for 81.
Even after banks were established, did .
man borrow thousand dollars, his note
read: 81 promise to pay IS ounces, II penny |
weights and grains Of haakable gold dust"
This ptxaseology was used On aceouut Of g
decision which made greeubaeks receivable |
at Per, although not worth at thaf time over |
sixty cents on q dollar. Ban1able dust was |
worth about a dollar an ounce mare than |
trade dust, for it was as free from dirt as |
it could be blown. The h2ower'-and every |
miner hs,3one-was an ohlns9, fhaIsow tin or |
copper pan, With low rim a1ouad IT, sad
running 70 sharp point 10 frqut. Upon its
surface the gold waS sc&33ereds ami through |
the yellow heap a magnet was then passed.
To this the particles Of black dirt, in reality
putverird iron ore, adhered, leaving only
little earth, which YVES made to take unto it.
self wings by gently blowing uponit- The
gold was then clean and bankafae.
After banks were established miners
brought in tsefr sacks II dust Fer deposit
The contents were carefully weighed and .
receipt given thu owner. The bags we're then
piled up on the foor IN alphaheticsl order,
md when a check was received the efver's
'ack was found and the requisise amount Of
gold weighed eas. Ths precsutton was rem
tered necessary by the difference in gold,
sone being much cleaner and consequently
more valuable than others. For deposits the
bank received Il OF per cent. month or
,harGcd for the responsibility incurred,
-aencr than paving interest to its deposstors-
Perhaps eeme payee Of check, esacass,sd
With thu large amount Ct dirt visible n the
Zold Of the sack on which the check Tas
,iven, would demur; then the gosa uas care
'ully blown, but the dust was saved and
.hTown back into the owners kack- 80 that
he account would balance wren the s-etle-
nent was made. Necessary as THIS plan was,
{ became SC unxattsfactory 70 the miners
hat they were finally induced 70 sell their
,old outright-Conds HaraIin IA ST. Paul
Pioneer Pres.
VAN Y1n-