The morning call., 1894-05-06
FROM EARLY DAYS.
The Silver Discovery in
Washoe Valley.
RELIC OF ANCIENT HISTORY
How Francis j. Hoover Found and
Lost Wealth - Posthumous Pa
pers on Mining Adventure.

| Ever since the days when pioneers landed
on the shores of the Pacific from all parts
of the globe, and helped to make from a
| Spanish settlement peacefully designated
| Yerba Buena what is now known as the
most cosmopolitan city of the New World,
the history of the discovery and develop
ment of the wonderful mines has not
ceased to enthrall the hearts Of old and
| young.
| Old men, miners themselves in early
days, love 10 look back upon the scenes OF
their lusty and hopeful youth; young peo-
pie are never tired of reading of the ad-
venturous times through which their an
ccstors passed in their onward march to
civilization and plenty by means of the
greatest discovery of the age. Fabulous
tales are handed down to US by men who
have passed through the same expert
ences, of the fabulous wealth that has
come to some poor, half-discouraged miner
| in single day, turns of fortunes wheel
| that found their illustration in most OF the
palatial residences scattered throughout
| the State.
So il has been, and so it comes that
nineteen men out of every hundred who
live in the present era and do not happen
| to be blessed with an overwhelming
amount of worldly wealth are asking
themselves and each other, why weren't
we born in the good old flush times?
| Surely we know more than our fathers
did, and if only we had the same chances
what fortunes we could have built up and
| low we would have owned the ear;h gener-
ally." And yet, with every advantage
| their forefathers did not possess, with
| new inventions and their attendant op-
portunities sprngiDg I'D all around them.
- li1nf hot hat hIo
then is a hundred times more pro obable
now.
The best proof lies in the fact that out
| of the hundreds of sturdy. willing seekers
after wealth, who. at their landing at the
Golden Gate, practically owned the very
| scot Of earth they happened to tread
upon, a very small percentage of the then
| successful have anything TO show at the
present time as the results Of their labors.
| Old mining interests are now controlled
| by a limited few, while of the others some
are dead and gone, others ruined and the
once flush times" dwindled in to a matter
Of history only.
But the history of these times, with the
/ extraordinary events surrounding the first
location of these mining claims in this
State and in Nevada, is a topic at once
familiar and interesting to the old res-
dents on the Pacific Slope. Very few
know of the practices resorted to in those
days, and that if tie miuing laws had
been as we'll and clearly established then
as they are now, and not so liable to
change, many families would now be re-
clining in the lap of luxury whose men,
bers have long since been forced to COM
mence the world anew.
They did not all make money. however,
although they possessed what they con-
sdered valuable claims, as being situated
in the centers OF rich ore producing dis
tricts. Some made money for time and
| lost it. while others never had any luck.
| Some had their claims relocated, while
death came to others before their legal
rights to the property they held could be
firmly established for the benefit of their
| heirs.
A curious document has just come to
light In the shape of what purports to be
| a "true history of the discovery of silver
in Washoe Valley. then Utah. now the
State of Nevada" 1t was written as far
back as September 9. 1868, by Francis J.
Hoover. once himself prominent mining
man, and well known to some old resi-
dents of San Francisco.
The document 10 question came to light
in this way. A few weeks ago Judge J.
V. Coffey of the Probate Court, himself
mining secretary in early days, received
letter from Mrs. Jesse W. Sharp. of Pen
mock street. Philadelphia, who wrote 10
inquire what had become of the supposed
vast estate OF Francis J. Hoover, who
died in this city thirty years ago.
The letter explained that the writer was
an only surviving child of Hoover. and
that his estate was supposed TO reach in
the neighborhood of 100000. A son.
Francis Jackson Hoover. had left the
East for San Francisco presumably to
settle up the estate. being named as execu-
tor, but all that was known of him was
that he died some twelve years afterward.
and no part of the supposed estate ever
reached those legally entitled to it.
Judge Coffey took some time and trouble
In ferreting out the mystery connected
| with the Hoover estate, and the folio owin 2
facts were discovered: Hoover. who was
born In 1911, came to this country in 1849
| and proceeded at once to the mines. He
| took up claims that were afterward known
as the Gold Hill mining claim, the Her
mitage ranch in Ell Dorado County. near
| Mud Springs, with the mining district
| Hoover also journeyed into Nevada Chen
a Territory and became somewhat largely
| Interested there.
Hoover must have made money at one
time, for when. after a life of toll, he
found himself afflicted with a cancer
| which threatened to terminate his exist
ence at any moment he wrote to his wife
and family in the East to the effect that
although he knew his end was near yet he
was happy in the thought that he left
those he loved amply provided for.
The letter was dated December 5, 1868,
ana was written from the old fremont
House on Jackson street. In that letter
Hoover used these words: 'If my affairs
are closed you will each have from SO, O0O
| TO 100000 apiece. Any place between
the two will leave you all we'll enough"
| On July Is. previous to his writing that
letter, Hoover made will, in which he
beQueathed property in mining claims both
| in this State and in Nevada valued at
over 100000 to his family. A witness to
the will was E. A. Brede. now cashier of
A. P. Hotaling & Co. in this city, who
accompanied Hoover on his early mining
ventures.
An operation was performed on Hoover
shortly afterwsrd, from the effects OF
which he died at Sansome street. jan
uary 4, 1864. He now lies buried in Laurel
Hill Cemetery. When, however. his estate
came to be proved it was found that in
place of 100000, as was expected. Hoover's
property realized only $685. This was
made up as follows: One mining claim,
$3.50; personal property and two shouses
| (shanties on Hoover's mines), S1l.100;
debts. 500; supplementary property. $I45.
George e. Williams. now practicing in
San francisco, was his attorney.