The morning call., 1893-09-10
BRISK DAYS ON THE COMSTOCK.
RecoIlections of Men and Events in Bygone Days
in the State of Nevada.

/ closed previous reference to early
events on the ComStock with friendly
tilt at DIR. Webber. who is still living TO
defend himself should be feel aggrieved
But he is not sensitive, and quite one-half
the anecdotes he relates are at his own
expense.
La 1884 he was an applicant fox the place
Of. Minister resident to the Hawaiian
Islands, and to defeat his nomination some
Dne of his many opponents circulated the
story that he had written 10 Cleveland
agreeing not only to serve without SAL
srv, but Offering him the choice of two of
the eight islands of the group. which he
felt assured a few sttings at draw-poker
with Kalakaua would throw into his
hands.
Ex-senator Fair was accorded the privi-
ege of naming the man for tie place,
and George w. Merrill received the ap-
pointment, but the doctor relished the
ridiculous scandal connected with his ap-
plication, and would have done SO even
bad it been the direct cause of his defeat.
A thought of DR.. Webber suggests a
number of other distinguished physicians
known on the COmstock in The '60s.
Among them were DR.. Bryant; DR.. Bryer-
ly, an accomplished surgeon, who added TO
a thorough professional education an eX-
perlence In the hospitals during the Grim
can war; and DR.. Bronson, who died In
Oakland two or three years ago. The lat
ter was as skillfui both as physician and
surgeon as he was eccentric liz every other
relation in life. He was small and natty
In appearance, with large blue eyes. and
hands and feet of which he was exceed
lngly vain. He wore No. boots, which he
was fond of displaying, and fancy cOlored
gloves of corresponding size.
AS Brigham Young has been charged
with a similar weakness we may excuse it
with a smile in DR.. Bronson. But his
complimentary estimate of himself was not
confined to his feet and hands.
DR.. Bronson believed, and was by no
means modest i'll claiming, that he was not
only the most learned physician and sur
geon in the United States. but the most
dashing and sagacious fnancier as well.
He would yield his judgment to no one in
the valuation of poker hand or the p0sSi-
bilitieS of faro. and no stake in game of
chance was TOO large for him If within the
limit of his combined cash and credit. His
opinion OF himself professionally was not
largely an overestimate, Tor he was GER
tainly physician OF unusual merit, but
beyond his calling his dealings with the
world were wild and capTicious.
Twice during period of five years he
made and lost fortunes Of more than half
a million dollars in stock dealing. The
strike in the Crown Point and Belcher
gave him profit of quite S500,000 Less
than year after he filed his petition 10
bankruptcy. The developments in the
Bonanza mines again lifted him to the
clouds finan cially. and he exhibited to me
stocks which { an hours notice he might
have converted into 5000 900 in gold. | ad-
vised him to sell. His Consolidated Vir-
glnia was worth 500 per share in the
stock boards.
Sell that stock for the beggarly price of
500 a shareP' he exclaimed. pointing to
bundle of it, 81 would rather kIndle
fire with it, and | will before I'll sell il for
less than $4,000. Why, I've just ordered
another 200 of it without limit. l know
what I'm doing. Pve had a talk with
Didesheimer. He says there is ore enough
in sight to pay the national debt"
''If correct in your judgment. you will
be very rich man. doctor. L suggested.
What will you do with all your money!"
II will put up a building on Market
street that will make Sharon's Palace Hotel
look like pigstye in comparison" replied
tie doctor theoretically. Il will teach the
nabobs ST Pine street that | can do some
thing besides feel pulses and write preserip-
tious. But my doctoring days are about
over. ] shall 60 out Of practice next
month"
But the doctor did not go out of practice.
Instead he went into liquidation a few
Office for the accommodation Of his patients.
After wasting his income in stocks for
number OF years the doctor finally re-
located the Segregated Belcher and re-
ceived a considerable sum from some
source in the way of a compromise. Two
or three fortunate stock deals again put
him on his feet. l met him at the Palace
Hotel. He was full of misunderstanding
and receiving dispatches, writing letters
and interviewing brokers.
We'll, l am on top again." he said !;
"tnis time to stay. | have lost three or
self now authorize you to blow my brains
out" He spoke in the presence of his
wife and was terribly in earnest.
[ saw him in Virginia City six months
"Wen, Doc. shall 1 shoot?"
''N-o-o-o-o, not yet" he replied with a
sickly smile. "Pll tell you when the
times up.''
l knew what he was waiting for. He
had a few hundred shares Of Hale & Nor
cross left, the price of which was settling
steadily downward.
He was as game an operator as ever
fought the stock market, and fortune had
to use both hands and do some kicking to
keep him from being millionaire and
erecting hotel with frontage OF thou
sand feet on Market street.
From doctors to lawyers the step is easy
and consistent reference TO Comstock
characters in the sixties could not well be
made without including few representa-
tives of a bar noted alike for its solid
attainments and social and professional al
idiOsyncrasies.
AS prefer to deal with the pleasantries
of the past rather than with its fragrant
misdemeanors, it will be perceived that [
employ somewhat gentle phrase in
designating period in the judicial history
of the ComstocB when Judges were cor
rupted, the verdicts of juries were pur-
chased and troublesome witnesses were
killed or spirited outof the Territory
when mining records were tampered with,
and witnesses before testifying were
drilled in perjuries like squads of raw
recruits. Sometimes. to increase the value
of their rascally services, these drilled
witnesses would overreach themselves. l
will present single example
In 1862 the owners of the Yellow Jacket
mine, in Gold Hill, swallowed two loca-
tions Immediately ID front of their east
line, belonging to the Union and Princess
corporations. The Yellow jacket loca-
ton, which was the earliest of tie three
by some days, was made too far upthe hill
to cover the COmstock assures and the