The record-union., 1892-11-16
IN The EARLY SIITIEG&
When Argenta Was the Toughest Of
SagebruSh Camps.
Moses Patterson of Michigan Bar Re-
lates Some of His Experiences
in That Lively Place.

Speaking of hard towns,'' said Moses
NJ. Patterson of Michigan Bar, as he
threw himself back into his hardbot-
toned chair, thoughtfully drew lucifer
across the seat of his second-best trousers,
relit the stub of his cigar ard ran his
fingers through his long-pointed beard,
reminds me that 1 have seen few OF
them in my time. but the very toughest
camp it has ever been my lot to strike
was Argenta."
Everyone in Sacramento County who
knows anyone knows Mr.. Patterson, or
''Mose," as he delights being called by
his friends, who. besides being the prin-
cipal merchant at the Bar, boasts of being
the only Democratic Postmaster in the
county. Though a forty-niner, he is still
a bachelor, a lover of the beautiful in
general and, it is said, women in particu-
lar.
Each lounger settled himself into an
easier position upon his favorite dry
goods box and gave his undivided atten-
tion to the matter in hand, well knowing
that when the old man cOndescended to
unravel himselfa a treat was in store.
"Argenta," continued Mr. Patterson.
'as most OF you know, is situated on the
line of the Central Pacific Railroad, very
nearly in the central part of the State OF
Nevada. One might pass and repass 1t at
the present time and see little TO make
good my assertion, for a more quiet,
peace-loving community is to be found
nowhere in the land of the sagebrush; but
time was when harder nest would have
been difficult to locate anywhere between
the lids of the Atlantic and the Pacific.
How l discovered the fact was like this.
The railroad had been pushed across
the Sierras as far as where Reno now
stands, and as business was dull at the
fat in which my claim was located, de-
termined to follow the road to the build
ing end in search of employment. Owing
to my knowledge of engineering l was
counted into the gang whose business 1t
was to survey town sites and locate
proper points for the buildings OF the
company.
''In good time 1 was promoted and
placed in charge of the gang, and mot
ley enough gang 1t was-men from all
parts of the Union, who had come to Cali
fornia and Nevada for the purpose of
reaping golden harvests, but who, in
stead. had struck bedrock with no pay
gravel in sight, had struggled, stranded
and finally dritted to the uncOmpleted end
OF the road-some in search OF employ
ment, others because they were so much
nearer TO the girls they had left behind
them. For the superintendent, be it said,
that all such applicants as did not tickle
his fancy-and their names were legion
were given a polite refusal, a square meal
and a free pass back over the road TO the
first siding, and there lett to make their
individual ways. through sagebrush and
alkali, to the bounds OF civilization after
their own fashion.
Naturally enough these characters
must need have a stopping-place, and
none seemed to suit their vagrant fancies
aG rnpanrIV r
Eenta. Argenta was the Mecca toward
which every eye was turned, every
prayer directed, and to Argenta they
went They had reasons for their choice,
too, one being that passenger tratflc ter
minated there, and stages departed daily,
eastward bound another, that two rival
express com panies solicited business at
that point from both sides of the conti-
nent, recognizing Argenta to be the key
of the situation. Thus at Argenta there
was a chance of work for the industrious
and other more congenial occupations for
their less honorable brethren.
Il was working about q hundred miles
east from Argenta, when / one day re-
ceived word that mining property at the
flat in which my claim was located had
taken an unexpected boom, and that if |
wished to dispose of the property | would
do well to be on the ground. As l did
happen to wish to dispose of it presented
myself before the Superintendent, and in
timated that my TIME would be ac-
ceptable, but was curtly informed
by that individual that as reliable
men were scarce, he would see
me in hotter place than Nevada before
acceding to my request. Later, when |
had laid before him the letter received,
he relented, and, descending from the
block OF bis authority, tore the margin
from newspaper he chanced to be read
ing, which, by the way, was the old Sac
ramento UNION, and with poor quality
OF lead pencil scratched thereon few
characters, which, being translated,
proved to be pass for myself TO Reno.
With the precious scrap of cheap paper
securely filed away beneath my left sus-
pender, L started for the supply train
which made the trip once a week, and
was to pull out that evening. The con-
ductor, who by diligent application was
enabled to decipher the word Reno, and
the SUPERINTENDENT s initials, and rightly
concluding that it meant pass. informed
me that he should start as soon as the en-
Rineer was duly sober, and that | had
best keep i'll sight if l expected to ride in
his wagon. 1t took that engineer just thir-
ty-siX hours to become duly sober, but
when finally he did arrive at that interest
ing state he drove things with a vengeance.
and shortly after nightfan reversed his
engine and stopped within 100 yards of
the half-cOmpleted depot of Argenta, the
end of his division.
L
loaded and walked forward to find why
we had stopped. The engineer was al
ready on the track, holding his lantern
high above his head and peering cannily
at some object before him. Intuitivelv /
accosted him with Run over a man ?,
'Naw.' drawled that worthy, disgust and
loathing sounding through his half-sober
voice. some skunk shot him and laid
him there for me to mutilate.' what do
you intend doing with it, inquired,
nodding at the inanimate object. why
roll him Off and 90 ahead, replied the
matter-of-tact driver, and suiting the ac-
tion to the word lifted the corpse upon
the toe of his boot and rolled it from the
track, where 1t lay face upward and eyes
staring, while from a small hole in the
center of the forehead ooZed black slug
gish stream-and SO we lett it.
90 soon stood inside the depot, if inside
it had. The night was bitterly cold and
a fire burned fiercely in the stove in the
center of the one large room which served
as waiting-room, ticket office, warehouse.
express office. bar and hotel. Great
stacks of trunks and other packages were
heaDed upon either side, showing the eX-
press matter of the rival companies to be
pretty evenly divided, while the ticket
once occupied one corner and the bar
another.
'.phe room was innocent of doors or
window-frames, those appliances not vet
having made their appearance, though
II -