The Ketchum keystone. [volume] (Ketchum, Idaho) 1885-1899, 1891-04-18

time through the canyons and along
the hillsides of that locality. Mr..
Paul's pioneer mill was in operation
on ore taken from a claim on Gold
Hill. This Pioneer Mill was located
below the Deyil's Gate toll house.
The rivalry as to who should put
the first quartz mill in operation at
that locality was sharp and interest
ing. Mr.. Paul won by only a few
hours. 1t is said that four hours
later the Harris & Coover mill was
also in operation. Other mills fol-
lowed. Among those were the Doug
las, Rhode Island and Marysville.
All these were steam mills. Later
on the Woodwork, or old Ophir
mill, came into operation on the
Carson river. These enterprises
made an entirely different place of
the locality. At once there was an
air of industry and prosperity sur
rounding the neighborhood. The
question of how to utilize the wealth
lying at the feet of everybody was
in process of solution. The silver
bearing rock was not specially at
tractive as it lay about on the
ground. From some of this rock
the gold had been pounded out by
means of the arastras. Now the
mills were taking this and other
dark-looking rock, and after it had
gone through several processes, the
result was bright bars of gold and
silver. These bricks were in demand,
not for house building, though they
contributed indirectly to that end,
but for coinage purposes and for
use in the arts.
The setting of these quartz mills
in motion revolutionized the whole
| aspect of affairs in Nevada. Popu-
lation crowded in, and industries
of various kinds were started. The
people who had focked to the local
ity mustbe fed and clothed and
housed. Mercantile and other busi-
ness houses were developed for sup
plying these demands. Land was
taken up and the soil titled. The
raising of cattle and other live stock
1 became essential. The lumber
interests received considerable at
tention. There were buildings to be
erected and timbers were needed for
bracing in the mines. Fortunately,
these supplies were abundant and
near at hand, the Sierra Nevada
mountains furnishing everything
needed in the way of fuel and build
ing material. The first supplies of
this character were drawn from the
immediate neighborhood of the
mines. Everything in sight was
soon cut either for fuel or firewood.
The cry of "woodman, spare that
tree" was either not heard or totally
disregarded. All supplies of this
character of late have been brought
from a distance, say from the great
basin of Lake Tahoe or from the
eastern summit of the Sierra Neva-
das. Fortunately, these supplies,
though coming from a greater dis
tance, cost less than those near at
hand in early times.
A review of the Washoe mines
| (Comstock Lode) for 1861, says
"The development of the gold and
silver ledge begann at the end
of 1860, and the discovery of new
ones upon the eastern slope of the
Sierra Nevada, in Nevada Territory
has proceeded steadily and rapidly
during the past year, and the num-
Der of mills in operation and in
process of erection in the territory
| is now quite large" According to
hastily taken and somewhat i'm
perfect census, there were 1874
persons in the territory in August,
1861. All the supplies for these
people were drawn from California
and it is said there were 1000 wag-
ons employed in the transportation
trade with the Washoe district in
1861. Many of these were engaged
in freighting lumber. There were
40 lumber mills in operation in that
vicinity in that year, and the sales
of lumber amounted to 8O,OOO,OO(
feet at $50 to 1926 per 1000 feet
The principal mining operations in
| 1861 were confined to the. Washoe
district, Esmeralda district and the
Humboldt River district.
| Outside of the Washoe camp, the
next most important were those II
the Esmeralda district and along
the Humboldt river. In the former
district, the town of Aurora was
early created, and at once became
prominent place. AS early as 1861
there were about 800 buildings, and
in October of that year the number
of inhabitants was 1900, including
"a females. Subsequently the pop
ulation increased to 5000 or 5000
The district once presented scene
| of great activity. It is claimed thai
thousands of lodges were located by
hundreds of companies, claiming
25O, 900 feet of mining ground. AT
one time there we're forty tunnels
in various stages of progress. The
charge for crushing in 1861 wai
$25 per ton, and the rock yielded
| from $40 to $50 in gold, the silver