Semi-weekly herald., 1908-02-27
LIFE IN LAND OF
sAGE5RusH AND SAND.
(By c. C. wright.)

There are few people especially
from Colorado, Who would be content
to live permanently in Nevada. The
change from green fields, verdaut
hills and picturesque mountains to
sage brush and sand is too much The
loneliness and drearlness OF the des.
ert is appalling.
OF course there is much to interest
until the novelty wears on. The oc.
cupation OF gold hunter is extremely
absorbing for a time. Most people get
over that after they have been disap.
pointed time after time for few
years. A few. however, never do get
over 1t, and go tramping over the hills
us long as they 1--we and finally drop
out of sight. Every now and then a
pile Of beached bones is found which
tells the end of the life story of one
OF these men.
It is exciting to get in the rush to a
new gold camp or make run in a
stampede for claims when a new
strike is made. These are pleasant di.
versions for a time.
Many who were never in mining
camp before find life there 80 novel
( lhat they enjoy it for a time
And there are many women. too
following the quest for fortune IN Ne
yada. 1t Is surprising how many there
are.
You may find woman any day in
one OF the most remote, f-the-way
places YOU go to. some of these wom-
en- are there because they want TO be
with their husbands, feeling bound by
loyc and their ideas Of duty, to go
4 wherever their husbands go. share the
I hardships he endures and cheer him
on the way. Others are there because
they have no comfortable home back
east. or further west. to stay in while
their husbands are trying to make a
fortune.
still others are there because they
have the love for adventure, because
Z they are imbued with the spirit of the
prospector, and they enjoy Cor a
I time) the life as though they were on
picnic
They are all there in the hope of
making fortune and as long as they
are making it, or even have expecta-
tions OF making IL, they may be con
tented, but when it comes to settling
down and living" they want to so
somewhere else.
| There are, OF course, some excep-
I tions to this statement. There are
several communities where pioneers
settled In the sixties and remain there
to this day. Whatever induced men
to take their families into that cheer
less desert land in those days, when
! the Indians frequently went on muir
/ dering expeditions. and make their
homes there, is beyond comprehen-
sion. Young men took their young
| brides and left states like Illinois,
/ Ohio, Iowa and Missouri crossed the
/ plains OF Kansas and finally stopped
| in Nevada and stayed there. 1t looks
I like their lives have been wasted and
barren Of happiness. OF course It is
natural for their children. never hav-
ing known any other land, to be con
tented.
Aiaay OF these pioneers have grown
Immensely rich and being wrapped up
in their interests, they are satisfied to
live there
The incest place in all Nevada to
live is at Reno, the largest city in the
state, having population Of about
$1,000 It is the incest place only be-
cause OF It's size and the colyeniences
it has on account Of its size.
The next incest place is Winnie
muoca a little town on the Southern
Pacific In the north central section Of
the state. This town, like some 9th
ers of that state, can be seen from a
distance OF 80 or 40 miles. AT long
distance It is a speck of green on u
field OF gray. It impresses one as
an oasis in the desert. The green Is
made by the tall Oregon poDlars,
which are so popular in that country.
In all the old towns. OF which Winnie
mucca is one OF the oldest, these trees
loom conspicuously and the houses,
which generally present a new and
neat appearance, are surrounded by
lawns and flowers. The homes are
pretty enough. but when you get out
side the yard you are in the desert.
There is no such thing as enjoying
buggy ride or horseback ride In the
country for one from Colorado. for
while riding along in the dust and
sand, with nothing but sagebrush, and
sometimes not even that, as far as the
eye can see, one could not help Sigh