The Pioche record. [volume] (Pioche, Nev.) 1908-1925, 1914-04-18

pies grounded on religion or states
manship against taking a little flyer
in mines. and when Vandermark and
Sherwood told him of the new discov-
cry and gave him samples of the ore
he was keenly interested. He sent
some of the samples to San Francisco
to be assayed, while Vandermark sent
some to Blackhawk, Colo. Both of
these assays returned values of over
$500 per ton. The town was little
excited. In May 1864, company out
fitted at Salt Lake City, and headed
by Vandermark and Sherwood, set
out for the new "diggings" They
travelled by wagon as far as the di-
vide just above the present town of
Phoebe, where they unloaded and
carried their SUPPLIES over to a spring
on the hill near where the Spring mine
is now located Here the day after
their arrival they were joined by an
other party. led by Captain Living
ston, which had followed them from
Salt Lake. They had been in camp
only short time when they were
confronted with difficulty which was
to figure largely in the fortunes, or
misfortunes, of the district during the
next few years-lndians. A wander
ing band of Pahutes put in an appear
ance, loudly claiming that the spring
where the white men were camped,
which was so necessary to any pro-
longed operations, belonged to them
After much parley the Pahutes were
bought off, only to be succeeded short
ly afterward by another, and that by
third band, equally insistent as to
their particular proprietorship of the
spring. and likewise demanding and
securing temporary assuagement for
the perpetually itching palm.
In the same month of May, 1864. in
which Vandermark, Sherwood and
their associates came from Salt Lake
another party, whose advent was
fraught with even greater significance
for the future of the territory tribu-
tary to Phoebe, was heading in that
direction. Francis Lee and his family,
of st. George Utah, had listened with
interest to William Hamblin's account
of the living spring, and rich natural
meadows where he had twice made
camp, and where he and his party had
organized the Meadow Valley Dis
trict" They believed such a place. To-
Gated in the near vicinity of future
mining camp, offered unusual advan-
tages for making home. The thought
was translated into action. Lee and
his party, with their household pos
sessions, arrived in due time at the
geographical center of the new dis
trict and approved of what they found
there They went further. as far as
the rich lodges on the hill above
Phoebe, which they also approved to
the extent of making several loca-
tons; but that which appealed most
to their thrifty instincts was the
broad, smiling meadow in the valley
below, with its promise of bumper
crops of hay and grain and vegetables
and fruit, destined, they believed. to
fin hungry market among the miners
who would soon be delving in the very
hills which bordered it. Having picked
out the site Tor their new settlement
the next task was to give 1t name
That, too, seemed to have been pre-
determined by the nature of things
The Indians had called the silver or,
which they had taken to William
Hamblin "panacare," and Hamblin had
handed own his version of the WORD
when he posted his location notice
on the "Panacker" claim. What was
more natural than to give the word 9
slightly different twist, and call the
community. whose hope of future
prosperity rested on the fact of its
close proximity to enormously ricf
deposits of ''panacare" or silver ore
"Panaca"? Panaca, too, had its trou
bles with the Indians. More than once
the Pahutes descended upon the
!. peaceful settlement at night, stamped
ing cattle and horses, and making Of
! with their booty to the hills. While
the town was still young, a prominen
, Utah ranchman, on his way thither
, was murdered by the Indians only ,
short distance from his destination
: little later they killed some prospect
! ors few miles south of Panaca.
, Their depredations had an effec
! more far-reaching than they intended
: vandermark. Sherwood and thei
| friends spent the summer Of 1864 a
the mines, returning in the fall o
: that year for Salt Lake City, whence
that same winter, Vandermark set on
ON a pilgrimage to the financial MEG
lea, New York. Here he interested car
ital, organized company, and in tn
. summer of 1866 started back on hi
l long journey westward. having as h
: supposed. scared ample backing 70
: his project OF opening up the mines o