Tonopah daily bonanza. [volume] (Tonopah, Nev.) 1906-1929, 1913-11-14
Some Coast Pioneers
Of Comstock Days

one Of the famous and foremost
organizations Of the Comstock IN its
most prosperous days, and seldom re-
ferred to in this day and generation,
was the society known as the Pacific |
Coast Pioneers. says the Virginia City
Chronicle. We were recently handed
booklet compiled and edited by ALI
Doten in April, 1887 being com
plete record of that association, and
covering the donation of the cabinet
property of the society to the state
of Nevada, and its acceptance by the
legislature of 1887 The society was
organized in 1872 at Virginia City
and eligibility to membership was
based solely to include citizens of the
United States residing or arriving on
the Pacific coast previous TO January
1, 1851 over 500 signed the roll, in
GLIDING men of high prominence in
the history of the Pacific coast and
of the nation. During the most sue
eessful period of its existence, in
1871 the society built on street in
this city a hall for headquarters,
costing in excess of $25.OOO. says the
Virginia Chronicle.
Contributions to its cabinet came
in from all parts of the world, until
it became an extensive, highly valu.
! able and extremely interesting ex
hibit. In 1887, the declining pros
perity Of the region and the death o.
) members and migration to other 10
! calities so thinned the ranks of the
J membership that it was only a rem
nant of its former imposing self
! That the cabinet should be wei
cared for and be of substantial bene
fit to the future, it was presented t,
I and accepted by the state. On Janr
! airy 26, 1887, Senator Boyle intro
J duced the resolution accepting tn
I cabinet and appropriating $500 for it
! packing and removal It passed bot
! houses and was approved by the GOV
J ernor. When the bin came u
: it called forth tributes to the pie
: neers, eloquent and magnificent, notl
ing to equal it having been hear
: before or since in Nevada's legislt
B tive halls.
A great banquet was held at tn
Carson opera house March 1, 1887, q
which time the cabinet was formal
accepted About so of the "old boys
D went down from the Comstock, bein
o furnished free transportation by S
I'd perintendent Yerington of the raj
road, and they were met at the st
ton by the Carson Brass band al
- escorted through the streets to Il
assembly chamber at the capitC
- where Senator Briggs of White PHI
gave them a royal welcome. AT Il
opera house four long tables we
filled, and the most conspicuous fe
~ ture of the decorations was flol
model of a grizzly bear, mounted
the table, overlooking the orchestl
The most deeply impressive happ,
ing of the occasion was the CALI
of the roll of the original membe
Name after name was called withC
response, and to the large, cage
tha waiting audience the eloquenee of
silence was peculiarly effect
When occasionally the name of a
$3.50 ing and present member was cal
it was greeted with hearty applal
Less than fifty out Of the 500
sponded. Governor Stevenson hea
one of the banquet tables and l.
ate tenant Governor Davis the other,
following the roll call the banQ
DA was served.
. 1t was an occasion and gather
that was historical. Addresses
lowed the banquet, Senator Bri
being POSTMASTER The quality
sincerity of the speeches and
historical data quoted forms an
valuable record. The reading of /
r. NJ. Daggetts my New We
Guests was received with rapt
tention Among the honorary n
bers of the pioneers are found
names OF John c. Fremont, Uly
s Grant, John b. Winters, A.
\ Cole, Charles c. Goodwin C. c.
terman, Samuel l.. Jones, John
Mills, Robert e. Lowery, Tho
g Fritch, l.. p. Drexler, Frank f.
cups biston, Robert H. Lindsay The p
ious dents Of the society We're: S. A.
Mears, Robert H. Taylor w I