Weekly independent. [volume] (Elko, Nev.) 1887-1914, 1912-03-29


ribbed with gold: beyond was ''the
east" from which the argosies of
the Orient, in ceaseless procession.
were to come and go until the new
empire should eclipse all that had
been accomplished in all tn" Ealing
ages since man began 10 build his
landmarks on the oceans shore.
Though but a boy | knew that
from the first our country had
been crippled for want of money:
but now a golden stream had
started to flow through that gate
Of gold. and its volume was
steadily increasing-why should
not ours be the riches of all lands?
When the next day we went
ashore, the prospect lost some of
its charm. There we're no fine
structures there then: the little
old American Exchange was the
fine hotel. And how was a great
city to ever grow out of those
sand dunes? But even then, |
stopped at a place where a few
flowers were offered for sale. and
| caught for the first Il me the
fragrance of San Francisco flowers
The memory of that clings to me
still. | think. with my eyes
bandaged. were half a dozen
bouquets from different points SUBJ
mitted to me | could just by the
fragrance, select the n from San
Francisco.
Among the first things to notice
wss the absence of old men, but
the presence of a multitude of
young men, and every state had
its representatives. 1t was there
that north and south and east and
west met, and from there started
out for the conquest of the wilder
ness.
Never before did an ar my so
splendid take up its march to drive
a wilderness, to build the first
temples of industry, t. order, TO
progress. to peace. A new civili-
cation was to be founded, a new
order, where all the narrowness,
all the proVincialism, all the little
envie s and jsalousies of the older
states were never to secure a
fOOthOld.
The city began to expand. The
most experienced and careful
corners were the ones to remain
there; the alert an exultant ones
sought the hills, to turn the rivers
and to leach the sands of their
gold, sc the city was laid out on
careful lines. and business was
placed on an eastern basis at first,
though the steady flow If gold to
the city, and the news Of new dis.
coveries every day had their
effect.
When after a little the men from
the diggings came with their dust
and from the proceeds began the
fashion of painting the town red,
then the "honest miner" acquired
a name. He was of a new species.
never seen before, and, praise God,
he has kept the species distinct and
pure ever since.
The city began to expand rapidly
and never had a setback, until the
killing fo james King Of WIliam
the vigilance comittee sprang to
life in a night and caused the city
to stand still for a vear or more.
Just then, too, the placers began
sensibly to fail, but on the other
hand the marvellous fertility of
the soil began TO cause men to look
forward TO a time wher the gold
yield might fail. but to be sue
ceeded by a more rational wealth.
Then came the Fraser river
eXcitemet, which further crippled
the revenues from the mines, but
the city continued to or Ow. 1t had
become a settled fact that among
all the cities Of the world. not one
was more superbly located, not
one bad superior advantages
around and behind it..
All this time there was another
band Of men gathered there whose
thoughts and lives were not dis
turbed by the rush and roar. but
rathcr their purpose was TO
magnify the welfare of their fcI.
low men. Such men as the Rev.
Stebbins, the Rev. DR.. Scott, n
So