The silver messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1890-1912, 1895-09-03
THE PEOPLES FIGHT,


Inc pick WHICH feVediou 10
Marshall, in 1846, gold in the
sands of the American river, sent
Joy and gladness to the hearts of
the millions, who, by their toll,
produce wealth. The existence
of California has been known to
the civilized world for centuries,
but its resources and character
istics were as little known to the
people of the United States as
the most excluded region of the
interior of Africa is today. But
the discovery of gold fields in
that remote region, in few
short months, made the people
of the civilized world more fam
iliar with the climate, rivers,
mountains, of the Pacific Coast,
than they were with the streets
of London and New York. The
enterprising and adventurous of
Europe and America rushed to
the New Eldoradoes and describ-
ed to their friends at home the
wonders of the land of gold. The
favorite son of every hamlet in
the Uuited States was sent, by
the old folks at home, to the
new world of promise. Within
two years of the first discovery,
two hundred and fifty thousand
of the pick of American man
hood, from every section of our
common country, were engaged
in mining for gold, and building
a new empire in the West. In a
few years the most accessible Ct
placer gold mines were exhaust
ed, and the yield of gold declined.
The providential discovery of
the Comstock lode of gold and
silver inspired new life and con
tinued the development of the
far West. The region between
the valleys of California and the
Missouri river, was unknown to
all, except few trappers and
adventurous explorers. When
many, who are now living at
tended school, this vast region
was marked on the maps of the
geographys then studied as the
unexplored desert of America.
Previous to the discovery of the
Comstock, gold placer mines had
been found and worked to some
extent, from California to the
eastern slope of the Rocky
Mountains, but the discovery of
the Comstock led to the discov-
cry of silver mines throughout
the entire mountain region. The
working of silver mines required
more labor, machinery, and ex.
penditure of money, than the
washing of free gold in the plac.
er deposits of the rivers, noun.
tains and gulches, previously ex.
plored and largely exhausted.
To supply the silver mines, agri.
cultural products were essential;
farms and beautiful homes soon
appeared throughout this vast
region wherever water could be
obtained for irrigation; farming
and mining brought other indus.
tries; towns and cities sprang up
continental railroads soon fol
lowed to do the business of the
country, while what was sup
posed to be an uninhabitabls
desert was being converted into
states and territories and was
furnishing market for the sur
plus products of the farm, the
looms, the machine shops, ant
the foundries of all the states il
the Union, the American peopl,
rejoiced at the growth and pros
perity of the new great West
During the war of the Rebellion
the mines of the West were tn
hope of the nation. Mr.. Lincol,
said to the writer of this article
while the war was still progress
ing, "that without the gold an,
silver of our Western mines, j
would have been impossible t
have sustained the credit of tn
country to prosecute the wa,