The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1902-03-30
Csan francisco Chroniele9

York papers.
The story has leaked out that "4-19-
CO." the author OF that bewitching
novel, when a Witch is Young" has
purchased property in Washoe, New,
made immortal by Mark Twain. 1t is
palace built By old Sandy Bowers,
fu the flush days of the silver mining
on the famous ComstoCk lode. The
mansion originally cost over 100000.
The door knobs and holdings about
the Dashboard were of solid silver,
long since stripped away.
The history Of the Bowers mansion
is Wei worth printing. In 1861 Lemuel
s. Bowers was a waiter in a restaurant
in Gold Hill Alongside of him wait
ing on the table was a pretty girl
named Ellely Orram. A miner one
day in a spirit Of POPULARITY agreed
10 give them ten feet each in the yell
low Jacket mine If they would marry.
They accepted the stock and the pros
ositiOn and agreed 10 wed. but on as
CertainlT that the shares were of
comparatively little value and that nc
o1sr was mere joke concluded not to
enter niatrimony.
About a year later there was q big
ore discovery in the mine ana they
suddenly found themselves accumulat-
-AE "A Aol tune ny Alft rise III AalUallJt.
The twenty feet IN the mine proved a
fortune. 1t is not definitely known how
much. but it has been generally esti-
mated that before they got through
speculating in the boom days they had
aln.Cst a million. Both were illiterate
people and their sudden wealth made
them the butt of many a joke, and
when they married the whole town Of
Gold Hi took q hand i'm the festivi-
ties.
Some one, stiu I'm a joking way. adj
vised them to make a tour of Europe.
They decided to do this, and deeming
&c might be q good idea to have a suit
able house on their return, gave an CT
der for the building of the Bowers
mansion. They selected a romantic
spot In Washoe county under the brow
of a picturesque mountain, and where
natural hot spring gushed from the
rocks. tt is Gained that Bowers first
took up the land and acquired it ~
sqUattiug on it, but finally bought il
Of the government at S1.25 an acre in
order to add as much dignity as pos
sible to the transaction they placed the
building and furnishing Of the house
in the hands of Governor Johnson Of
Nevada. It is estimated IN the His
tory OF Nevsda, published by ThOmp-
son & West. that the house furnished
with the improvements on the grounds,
etc. cost s4S6. 600.
The building originally was a two
story structure and built entirely Of
cut stone. It was built TO stand a few
hundred years, and the walls and
stone work are as solid today as when
first erected. The windows were all of
French plate glass and the door knobs
We're of solid silver. The furniture vas
all imported from Europe, and most of
il was picked up by Bowers and his
wife on their continental trip.
Before they started for the Old World
they had a blowout in Virginia, New.
They simply treated the town to lev
erything in sight Several hundred
dozen bottles Of champagne were
opened that nigh Sandy addressed
the citizens from the balcony of the
InteTna donal hotel. He said. among
the things that viii always i've in the
memory of old Nevadans: Boys, pitch
in and enjoy yourselves. I have money
10 throw az the BIRDS
While in England Mrs. Bowers was
presented to the queen. 70 one has
ever been able to explain how they
broke into the royal residence, but the
fact remains that Mrs. Bowers was
presented and wore the Iaost expensive
gown that had been seen al a queens
reception for many a day. On their
return TO Nevada they went into their
house in WashOe county and gave
some move Hlow-outs. Il was simply
like AladdiE's palace, and they were
never happy unless a gang was
there from Reno or Virginia City hav-
ing royal "arouse. They had dan
cling and feasting and revelry and the
GROWING of the Wassaii bowl at all
hours, and SO they went the pace and
kept it up until they neaTed the end
of their bank account. IC was hard TO
realize that there was an end TO it, /
and wheG they say it coming they
conceived a way Of averting the blow. /
The house had about twenty-five /
rooms and they added another story I
and made a hotel of it, The place now
has about forty-hve rooms. and they /
advertised a summer resort and print /
ed a lot of glowing circulars ia which !
and pass a blissfui summer there at
the modest sum of S25 week, with /
natural hot water baths, boating on
the fish pond and riding and driving, >
with bowling alleys and dancing
thrown in. 1T was an alluring Pro
gr2mue. but the clause 'S25 "a week, 4
payable I'm advance was what queered /
tile whole thins.
TIE Bowers people thought that the I
guests they had entertained /
So royalty all these years would flock +
in numbers TO them now, but the old f.
time guests refused to flock. for the /
money that the Bowers used to throw F..
at the birds" was an gone. and so the /
birds fockad elsewhere. Well things I
went frcm worse 20 worse until they
had 20 sen the costly bric-a-5rac and 4
paintings and silver dOorknobs, etc. 70 /
eat on. and finally the place passed (
from their hands on q mortgage. Bow
ers died and was buried on the noun
tain side back Of the house. and his
widow began telling fortunes for liv-
ing. She became known as the Wa
shoe Scores" and told fortunes from q
ree1-glass at 81 head. she made
some remarkable prophecies and did
fairly wen in her dealings with futuri-
~. but she became old and poor and I
triendleSs and finally was relegated TO
a pqorh0use some where in California.
Finally a subscription was raised for
Ter among old Nevadans and a few
11nars came in. but not enough TO
amount to anything. Ii was well
known that after Sandy Bowers death
his estate was appraised at something
over $500 eco. but &c fell into either in
,oureten- or dishonest hands. and
every one who had dealings with his
" dow took advantage Of the fact that
She was not q business woman. and so
.he estate became a sOr, Of Erab-baE.
was thought that when the sub
paper went around some of
people who had robbed the estate
would respond with conscience ]
money. but they did not appear TO
their obligations In that light
Th1 property on which the mansion +.
vas built finally fell into the hands Of
rheo Winters, the Nevada horse breed
.r. When there was talk Of establish 4
ng s Nevada university he offered the