Durango semi-weekly herald., 1907-02-21
&C. WRIGHT
TELLS SOF HIS
PILGRIMAGE

Gshought when first | heard of Winnie
mucca that 1t was one of the. new
camps, Of which so many are spring
ing up all over Nevada, but the town
was founded a few years before | was
born. John Smelcer freighted from
Silver City Idaho, to this town in
1868, he told me before | left Du.
range. l have run across a number
OF young men almost as old as my
self who were born here. To one
from Colorado. where you seldom see
anyone who was born in the town you
live In except boys and girls, this seems
odd, for many of us are in the habit
of looking at this section as newer
one than our own. Winnemucca was
settled by a few immigrants who push
ed on from the middle states through
Salt Lake and out into the desert,
stopping on the banks of the Hum
boldt river and making their homes
Whatever possessed them to leave
countries like good old Missouri and
surrounding states and come to this
lonesome place, hundreds of miles be-
yond the reach of civilization at that
time, is a mystery. l asked an old
timer how this country ever came to
be settled, and he told me these i'm
migrants came about the same time a
lew adventurous prospectors gradual
ly worked their way here from Virginia
City, Nevada, where the great Com
stock is located, in which Mackay,
OBrien, Flood and Fair made their
fortunes, and few mines were dis
covered here which started the settle
ment.
The town is named after Winnemuc-
ca, famous Piute chief. Sanchez, an
other chief, whose nNhew died few
days ago on the Pyramid Lake In
dian reservation west of here. Mem
bers Of the tribe, which is scattered
beyetty well over the state, were pres
ent, imposing and picturesque cere-
monies were held and the chief was
buried with full honors of the tribe
There are several Piute Indians here
and they look very much like the
Southern Utes and talk very much like
them. They live in sbacks at the
edge of town and work at various
kinds of labor. I asked one If he
knew Ignacio and Buckskin Charley,
but he said he mo know EN-
Winnimucca has about 1000 inhabi-
tants. is a railroad division point,
freighters load up their wagons here
and haul their freight hundreds OF
miles up into Oregon and Idaho, and
the place is the Quitting point for a
number of new mining districts just
springing into prominence for forty
miles around. The agricultural and
stock industries are quite extensive.
While many towns in the southern
part of the state have water not f1t
to drink, this town has water that
at this season equals the Florida wa
ter itself.
The appearance Of the great ma
JOIlls VI TtSlutltcS Woulu give lUt lll-
preston that the town was new, for
they have new look, are newly paint
ed. surrounded by pretty grounds and
have a very pleasant, homelike ap-
pearance.
There are $50 Cinnamon here and
they are now celebrating their New
Years. Last night | took in Chinatown
in company with some friends. Visit
ed the joss house, which is quite an
elaborate structure, built of brick.
Took In the stores, laundries and
opium joints. Was surprised to find
so many OF them smoking the little
black pills. 1t is a mystery how so
many OF them can afford that luxury.
1t seems that nobody here cares how
much opium Chinaman smokes and
was told the authorities never mo
Tested them, unless white people were
caught smoking.
This is a cheap town OF live In. You
can get better meal here for a quar-
ter than you can in Durango, while 9
room costs from $3.50 week up
Wages Of all kinds are about tht
same here as In Colorado, though
am told that even the saloon porteri
in Goldaeld and Tonopah get no lesi
than $3.50 day.
stopped one day in Salt Lake Cit.
and took in the sights. 1t was rain
ing and very disagreeable. Although
the day was cold and slushy. score
OF tourists went through the Mormon
buildings and grounds. Since SO mucl
has been printed about the Mormon
and their religion and accomplish
ments 1t would seem the public woul
know all about the subjects, but whe
one visits Salt Lake they find the
know very little about It. There
one building called the bureau Of u