The sun., 1901-10-13
how HANGfOVN GOT ITS NAME
THREE STORIES, AND HISTORIANS
NAY TAKE THEIR CBOfCE.
Once the Third Largest Town In Can
fsrnis Its Name Chiii TO Teoderfect.
bot the Place was Never Emin entity Bsd

Once the Tbird Largest Tewn In Can
fsrnis Its Name . Chin TO Teoderfect.
bot the Place wss Never Emin entity Mad
From as Lo. Anosi.. Daiiy Tunes
Hidden In the nr-clad hills and ravines OF
~ Dorado county. st the has. Of the nrst
srsnr riss OF the sierras. there IL little town
nd-topped hills wall u secarely In. ss
n prosecting II from the outside world. and
up over them and across the dark green
sea OF treetops. through the clear mountain
air, the whte-crested sierras faise their
rugged heights Piaoerville. they call u
Erstwhils . mining camp, and formerly of
great Importance as n town, u nov leads
the quie, existence Of the governnentai
sest Of q mountain county. which has been
left tribe To- one side by the exhaustion OF
its gold deposits and the demands Of com
mercial life II gives no indications to-day
Of the prominence which once was ia own.
and Of the -strenuou, life" ~ led once as
ruinink camp There 10 nov little about u
that would attract the attention Of the unin-
formed stranger to its previous history or
suggest To ham anyt Ing Of the days whom
the place was the third largest town 10 cali
fornia II 1, charmiDgly picturesque With
its irregular streets following the contour
Of the land and lending n quiet air Of un-
conventionsiity and convenience that IL net
soon forgotten
Though the place IL not widely known ns
'Placer,ille.- there are few people ~ this
country to-day who have not az Least heard
Of Il as -Napstown Certainly there T. none
In California To whom the place j. unfamiliar
There l. hot one. however, who without
previous Information would recognize IN
The rlhcervlle OF to-day the -iianstovn Of
nifty years aso To most people th. mention
Of the name brings memories either per-onsl
Of otherwise. OF the most romantic period of
Western history. Nhen tho men OF the tnst
sausht their loriun.. ~ D3rado "t 20
of board and clo,'i house, and " en- Immigrant
RANinc Road was constantly hlled with the
teams 81 i.Cnnips R,r P,cr"cr. Si,,rs Ard ,,ss"
,nisn from Mother Earth and fortunes made
IN n day ~src often sgun ndered ~ an hour;
Nh.n Judge Lyrcb'- court Was the highest
legal tribunal. aud before that bar swif' and
sur- justice WAS met~d out 70 public offenders
rnTly daI- Mid and careless ~ ~ Future.
there III always come menorN ~hen
P1aCervile H. mentioned 81 thoSe times when
money was plenty the excitement ~ the sold
fever ves raging aud old -nanFio" - vas
IN ~ pripr
Tn. M me D, probably one Of the no-t famous
Of al those sor,ls which. coined ana applied
a. niCkuamr-, tsN" be"piue a. interesting
rSed for elect on -t-nd-tf~rt. and volld-b.
portrayers ~ Western life hsve mad . part
81 their prin.inAl stock in trade ~ :" indins
trpicRlly and lswl.ssly W"-tern II PER
haps cruel 10 disillusiori," those people y ho
have a more or lees haEv idea of old Hang
town a. the .cen. II daily murders ard blood
shsd and all other iiuHOfallti's which are
attributed 20 the ul'ri Mining cnWI IN"
place wa. of course not = model .. 'ho."
enough But u ua- no "orS" than any "ihcr
camp of am inn or'nnc- - chat tim" Fer
hApS tho r"puuto which ", ,snr s",'n
for II had something To- DO vfth tho Tact thu
40 eNtra1rdir NV number - crime "r"ui,c
there Never h~l-.. the 's"t rerains thn
few were c0mmtt~i s-r!v ~ thr history
Of g. nod that f|as@a aud her ere
sus~filv uuniah~d srd to ihls TACT 's ~
irihuted he "risi' Of IN" r,.st unique. a. ""'
a. ,ae of N" most tHwpuS, Western nHu"-
Iher,. havs b"cr ~ course. UNBv th""-
TI~s A. 20 the orirfu 81 the NAME wang
unwritt~n historv such - this but 'her', ~"
tlrs. stories wore vr l~ss h"'ut. y hlrh
',ur-or, 20 cOrtaiu Ia" true history "I NV
y hsup-nei The, All sound teaS"nahiri
sd h, il r-nhsh NE thai ~ three are founded
ou tho 5.r. fs"f ~" ~swp oTtfif at'Fi
~ is,s OH ~, pcvirgs aud hy this
ascpr,llnc - the nr-' storv, ~ that month IN,
"v~ri occrr-~i which informally 'hfi'i"n"d
One 18th, 'hr"e mon ver" rlAy,uc pos.r
IN q .sloo'. urohshlv tout ~ hu, rn"n
i,s~lf Nas urohahv not .N'-n"rd'urtN. hu'
rha, follo-~d was enough ou' ct ih" con
mon to rr"ct tho little cnWu ~ 80 ~.
d"-rrc Tha prorriei " OF VI. Ih". 10
ia Ien asIesu N ~. room. ard A. u Na'
L own thnt y" had some dust ,n hi- ls,-
-.-sinn. u occurred ~ IA" r""tlenan W"
bod lo., ,hst sloriou nun"r'nn'tT n re-
pieri ishlus purses w1s q haui N""ul.-
70 NY "" .tot"NTIVm ime1a, wss aroused
"a ,,'.'''t nI ~ - r,irhsrrel 20 ante
~ i'IlutnS ,, .u,h t.rt,a Nas rut 10 10.
' t.Nu -" ~ ,..,....,t.d ,,itN alarritV
=. u-'u. , aiin -, ~, ,Lrc,ts ,f sure death
N-,i.,. c,s A .,.gatd.d hv the v.ptiu.
~ w wv" ."I.' -tl.,- n. t,rotrrtlN A. ~.
1880 -" ,he .,iou, evening The
% nso "-..N u, - ,.,'sd tustir,a done
N"i N,ss -. 80. Ia AL the robbers were
70 WI. NJ -. h.d ,,v. ,o esrape a
W.. W ~. 49,. 49,. ,.and apd rogein. ard exile
. ''. 80. ~ .e,teu"s an Keeping vitl fhe
r.,, "a ,l",,tt'e
III .,'' 49,, y, ,t,s'. with which the whole
"a -. - zone through pith tptsh'
-. ur,,..t =. a U,rnlng - wiser men
n, - - a.. she rase With our gambler
~ ~ So, a. tNsy apprared in carli,
,.,, a. sra Irf, pn,-v- Voviug dire VEN
W, ~ " us us r., nurt.b.rs such arrogance