White Pine news weekly mining review. [volume] (East Ely, Nev.) 1910-1920, 1911-10-22
BIG SIM" WAS
NO SURVEYOR
SALT LAKE PAPER TELLS HOW
FORMER ELY RESIDENT CAP
TURED FLEEING HORSE RUST
LERS ACROSS UTAH LINE.

Lake Evening Telegram, in comment
ing on the work on the pathfnders
in the west, relates in an entertain
ing manner the methods that were
used by J. B. Simpson, for more than
twelve years a resident of Ely, in ap-
pretending a gang of suspected
horse thieves, whom he had followed
through White Pine county, and
across the state line into Utah. Good
win says that the get there spirit
displayed by big Sim" was what
~actuated the pioneers in retaining
the western wilderness. The dis
course follows:
The Pathfinders.
The New York Sun begins an edi-
torial in these words.
In adopting as her cross state
highway the route of the pioneers.
Missouri follows the lead of the
modern pathfnders. The men who
first cut their way through forests
and wild land cared more for a di-
rect available. route than a scenic
and picturesque road and those that
came after them have found the first
crude surveys the best"
When big Sim was sheriff of
White Pine county, Nevada, he was
given a warrant for the arrest of two
suspected horse thieves. He took
their trail. found his victims,
is said, near Fillmore, in the
state, and told them it was a
lonely road over which he had
cone. and he wanted their
company back. They protested that
they were out of his jurisdiction. but
he proclaimed his authority much as
did old Ethan Allen at Fort Ticon-
deroga-'by the great Jehovah and
the continental congress-" At all
events, they returned with him and
when they were about to be arraign-
ed their lawyer explained to the court
that the whole business was illegal;
that the sheriff who arrested them
had no possible authority, as he was
far beyond the boundary of the coun-
ty and state.
The late Judge Rives was on the
bench and turning to big Sim" he
said: Did you arrest these men?"
Il Gid, was the reply. Where did
you arrest them" was the next
question. In the %sagebrush east of
here" was the answer Was it in
the state of Nevada?" asked the
judge. Your honor" said big
Sim" the warrants given me to
find and bring back these men had
no instructions where i would find
them; the only order was to bring
them back. / am no civil engineer;
| had no maps, saw no monuments;
| simply obeyed instructions; / got
the men,"
Go on with the case, Mr.. District
Attorney" said the judge, and the
incident closed. In the same way
the Pike county man when he pulled
out for the west had the one thought,
which was ito get there" If he
mel a trapper or hunter, he probably
asked how the grass was ahead, and
If there were any mountains to cross.
The rest was left to his own instincts.
One followed another until there was
a road; then after long years came
a railroad; before the scream of the
locomotive the wild beast and saw
age man retired, and 10 commerce
had a new highway.
But Missouri may take full credit
for her part in being a pathfinder for
the far west. Lewis and Clark
made their real start for the west in
Missouri. Fremont did the same,
and 1t was Jessie Fremont's father
who. pointing toward the setting sun,
exclaimed: There lies the route
to India"
And the Pike county man, listen
ing, started In the same direction and
as he drove his oxen sang in tones to
deaden the fierce voice of the wilder
ness:
My name is Joe Bowers,
And I have a brother Ike;
l came from old Missouri,