Elko independent. [volume] (Elko, Nev.) 1915-current, 1915-10-27
(From Reno Gazette)

'AN NhS NASNAANN oAouliu
supported Il population of 10000
way back in the late COS and
early '70's, II grew ambitious and
bought. Il fire engine, hose cart and
fire bells. The population has long
since moved away and in 1910 all the
census cnumerators could find was
107, but. population or no population
Hamilton still has its fire engine,
hosecart and fire bells. The oldest
inhabitant can look of over the
s~agebrush and see the bells and
the engine and perhaps he was one
OF the Hamiltonians who went out
and protected them from the raid Of
the Elyites. For guns alone. backed
by determined men. kept Ely from
getting them.
Richest IN History.
II was a long time ago and a gen
Grafton has grown up and another
generation is rising into prominence
since Hamilton acquired its fire ap-
paratus. but Hamilton lives still and
still there is hope that another
Treasure Hill will be discovered.
Treasure Hill was discovered by
an ignorant Indian who picked up
a piece of such ore as had never
been seen before and has never
been zen since. II was so rich as
to be almost all metal. and If struck
with a hammer would retain the i'm
yer dollar would. The Indian gave
his piece of ore away for a drink
but Treasure Hill turned out to be
the richest silver mine evcr known
out of one glory hole. The fame
of the find travelled around the world,
and to Hamilton. Eberhardt, Sher-
mantown and the little camps that
came men and women from all parts
of the earth.
Only Low Grade Found.
Finally an English syndicate
DOuSIl silt llttSult I1lli DlODtllN anu
ran a tunnel 5000 feet TO tap
the ledge. Several millions of dol.
lars went in this undertaking, which,
II was thought. would result in mere
ly shoveling almost solid silver into
cars and running the ore out on the
Hat ut F.berhardt at small expense.
The tunnel was driven to the full 5000
feet and then a raise was carried up
1900 feet to the glory hole out of
which silver had been taken
by the thousands of tons All that
was found was a ledge OF ordinary
low-grade ore. The treasure of Treas
ure Hill had disappeared into thin
air and never a trace Of that rich
ore has been found from that day to
this.
Decides TO Buy Engine.
While all this was going OH. Treas
ure Hill as a mining district had not
stood still. Hamilton was a thriving
city with a population twice as great
as that of Reno today and fully as
large as the throng that used to cent
er around Brougher avcnu and Main
street. Tonopah. when the stage ran
from "Sody" and everybody was n po-
tential millionaire. Those were the
days when Hamilton decided to have
a fire apparatus worthy of the name
and that is the beginning of the story
of that engine and hose cart out in
the sagebrush, while the crumbling
walls of the old fire house. where
crowds OF earnest, hopeful young men
used to meet. stand close by, IA mute
reminder of the glorious days of the
SOS. and an incentive, too, of the
men of today. For, If there was one
Treasure Hill, there still may be an
other. Who knows? The men who
have stood by Hamilton. mere hand.
full hat they are, have faith.
The Engine Bought.
Things were done with Il rush in
times like that. Waiting was irk.
some, so II was decided to send to
Virginia City and see what could be
done there. One of the Virginia City
companies had just the thing. 1t was
a fire engine that had been built for
a New York company. II was all
shining brass work. polished to the
last possibility. OF course 1t was the
hand-ensine kind, the old back-brcak-
Ing machine. but ii vas what Ham.
ilton wanted. The engine, construc-
ted for "a volunteer company In New
York with money to burn, had caught