Elko independent. [volume] (Elko, Nev.) 1915-current, 1915-10-27
HOW ELY AND HAMILTON FOUGHT
FOR FAMOUS FIRE EQUIPMENT

the fancy of h volunteer of
San Francisco in the SOS and the
San FTanciscans had more money to
burn than their old New York friends
possessed. so the Bay City veterans
got ii and it was used at fires in San
Francisc until the organization of the
paid department men under Chief
Dave" Scannell, when Steamers re-
placed the hand machines. Then Vir-
ginia City put in a bid for 1t and one
of the Comstock's gilt-edge companies,
ran with il until Hamilton came along
md bought il. From New York 1t
had been shipped around the Horn in
a clipper ship, from San Francisco
1t had been shipped partly by rail and
partly hauled. and from Virginia City
it vas sen partly by the Central Pa
ciic and partly on wagons to Hamil.
ton.
A Great Occasion.
Its arrival was the occasion of
great rejoicing. Tom Wren made a
speech end Col. Joe Grandelmeyer
was on the committee OF welcome.
1t was a great day for Hamilton.
Eberhardt. Shermantown and all
Treasure Hill helped 10 celebrate
The big mills at Eberhardt went
on working their low-grade ore and
then there came parlous times for
Treasure Hill. Men began TO move
a N.DN Inmi1tnn NTnc gffl tho ~,
t. seat OF White Pine. though. and
that kept its standing as a city.
But Ely came TO the front and the
Joanna end the Chairman mines
were in ~everybody's mouth. More
people moved away from Hamilton.
Some slipped back 10 the Comstock.
Some went up to Battle Mountain
and Winnemucca many went TO
Reno and many more to San Francisco
and then came the rush of the surviN
ors still a great number over to Fly
Hundred remained faithful to Hamil-
ton, but the courthouse was burned
and finally the county seat, a'teI Il
desperate fight. was voted away from
Ildlilllol anu given W flN.
Almost a Battle.
The county seat nigh. burn, and
the riches of Treasure Hill Nigh;
evaporate, but Hamilton had still
n possession on which Ely set
covetou5 eyes. That was the fire
apparatus. Ely resovled TO get It.
Hamilton resolved that II should
not go. There We're resolutions by
town committees of offense and of
defense. Finally one afternoon as
the sun wen down a man rod inro
town and told Col. Joe Grandelmyer
that Ely was coming over en- masse
hat night to take the engine nose
cart and fire bell by force. The
colonel passed the word along and
Hamilton prepared itself to defend
its possession to the death. # was
no make-believe. Those men we're
ready to fight. The Hamilton forces
were armed and threw out guards.
Night came and with it the armed
body from Ely. But the Ely visit
ors were halted and were soon made
| {" unG rs,ind that :',":o would be
blood shed if they made any attempt
TO carry OF the fire apparatus. They
wero 20, allowed to crier the town
md wcr" sent back empty handed.
Out in IT,: sagebrush.
That was the last effort to take the
engine az" Ild now II stands in a
stretch OF sagebrush, with the house
a few feet away f. !" a relic Of
great Irvi and - ose VIC stIl live in
Hamilton have the greatest vcneration
for l.. Le, anybody try 10 take II
away and he would soon find out how
much store is set upon 1t by the men
and women who make up Hamilton's
population now.