Tonopah bonanza. [volume] (Butler City [i.e. Butler], Nev.) 1901-1909, 1904-05-21
CHURCHILL COUNTY.
Its Early History and Present
OutlOOk--Its Big Canal,


To the average mar who has spent
the greater portion of his life in a
town or city surrounded by green
fields and the like, the desert is an
other name for horror. No doubt
this view is due to ignorance along
these lines, at least such IS a fact
in the writer's case.
Last Sunday, in company with
Messrs. Kruttschnitt, Kinney and
Willis, the editor of the Standard paid
a visit to the great Sand springs salt
marsh and a portion of the surround
ing country. The trip proved one of
the most interesting the scribe has
ever taken and will long live in our
memory. Little did we dream that
the desert could afford such a day of
entertainment. Its broad expanse
fairly teens with histories of the
past, for it was over this same desert
that multitudes of people stampeded
IN their mad rush for gold in the
opening days of the golden west, and
on whose bosom scores met an UNI
timely death at the hands Of the In
dians, or either came to a frightful
end by the Turing mirage which re-
fleets upon the sand a lake beautiful
10 behold though whose shores have
never yet been trod by man. Here,
also, in the days Of old, the pony ex-
press rider fairly flew, leaving ia his
wake the dead bodies of red devils
who would impede his progress with
his lfe's blood and bring to an end a
career that for bravery stands alone.
Along the road, wreckage of i'm
migrant trains can still be seen. 1t
stands a silent witness to the horrors
Of those days when Storey, White
Pine and Lander counties we're bril-
liant stars in the mining armament.
The foundation Of the old station at
Sand Springs is yet in place and
brings TO the memory Of those who
knew her, NANNY Cain, a woman
noted for her bravery and daring,
who was won't to 90, unattended,
save for her trusted rifle, on wild
rides OF many miles on horseback
Never was she known TO cover at
the sight Of a threatening revolver
held close to her heart by an outlaw.
The old fort still stands. For miles
around the ground is covered with
lint aud arrow heaus, OK shoes,
bones, etc. One of our party, Mr..
K%ruttschnitt, found one side Of an
old style gold locket, possibly the
property Of an army officers wife
who was stationed with her husband
at the garrison. More beautiful than
all is the great sand mountain near
the old battle ground.
The hills surrounding the desert
arc highly %mineralized; gold, silver,
lead, iron, onyx, gypsum, and coal
mantle are found IN large quantities,
while coal and tin are known to ex.
ist in that region The country re.
sembles to a marked degree the
Tonopah section. Porphyry and
slate constitute the formation, which
IN Nevada is highly Indicative d
mineral wealth. Lodges crop VI
above the surface in all directions.
assays from which reveal the pres.
ence Of the precious metals, Wood
and water are scarce, but II the pro.
posed new road is extended to thai
section Churchill county will startlt
the mining world. And a railroad.
according to Mr.. Kruttschnltt, can be
built at a little cost over the country
70 that region. The old immigrant
road is N excellent condition, it al
ready aflording the finest kind of q
roadbed.
The ground has scarcely beer
scratched, but the day is surely com
ing when mines-and good ones viii
be opered in that section and Church
i'll win be a houseword in the land.
Fallon Standard.
The Copper Contact.