The Wallace miner. [volume] (Wallace, Idaho) 1907-current, 1917-03-08
MINERS ON COMsTOCk
UNIQUE CELEBRATION
MEN WHO SAW BEGINNING OF
VIRGINIA CITY TO OBSERVE
sEMi.cENTENNIAL.
(Tonopah Bonanzal

Next Fourth of July the miners
union of Virginia City will hold a jub-
lice In honor of the golden anniver-
sary of the organization of that body
of men This union has been unlike
every other union in the country and
the men who went down the holes
made famous in Comstock history
represent the best blood and brains OF
the western American people. The
union, which has been identified with
the rise and decline of Virginia City,
Is relatively insignificant body OF
men compared to the day when thou
sands of the finest physical specimens
iof American manhood reported at
each shift in faultless raiment fash
ioned by the highest priced designers
that ever drew the mould of fashion.
The Virginia City miners We're as
unique body of men as ever drew
the breath of life. and to their energy
and initiative rests the glorious fact
that the Comstock added nearly a
billion dollars to the wealth of the
nation before its sun passed the zen
| it'll of its orbit. The handful of min
ers still engaged on the old lode an
nounce they are going to hold cele-
bration of such magnitude that should
draw back to the historical camp
many of those who owe their fortunes
/ TO the hammer wielders of that dis
/ trict The announcement comes as a
( les to refrain from making extended
preparations for observance of the
national holiday which might detract
| from the success of the program ar
ranged by these hardy men who have
remained true to their first love in
/ face of the waning fortunes and the
greater allurements of newer and
more modern camps Let the day be
one in which the miners of the entire
state will be invited with their wives
and daughters to renew acquaintance
with the progenitOr of all Nevada
camps Make it a Homecoming day &c
which all former residents will be in
vited with assurance of that hearty
and spontaneous hospitality thai
never seems to die in the breast o.
the Comstocker. Let the survivors o.
the pioneer days get together ant
thresh out for themselves the dispnt
ed honor of settling the proper credi
F.1, Tho 1;vnnvary ~ thu ann
On this point there is dispute
The honor of naming the Comstocl
has been ascribed to "Old Pancake
Comstock, who,s from the accounts O
veracious chroniclers, appears to hav
been nothing more than an interlopel
Men of the contemporaneous perio
insist that the original discoveries o
the Comstock We're two sons of Err
named Mclaughlin and O'Riley. VIII
found the Ophir vein and made tn
proper location to protect their rights
1t is held by friends of this pair tina
while the two young lrishmen wer
engaged making their first CLEANUP
they were accosted by ComstOck. VIII
insisted that he had some time befor
filed on ranch of 100 acres taking i
The ground located. He also elaine
the water right that was essential I
the panning process which was tn
only means of saving the values a
that particular time To avoid troubl
Comstock was counted In. Then. no
satisfied with the apportionment
Comstock insisted on taking in
friend named Penrod. with a segrega
ton of 100 feet of ground to pay sep
arately for the water. Comstock wa
the big noise and got credit for tn
discovery, while Mclaughlin ant
IORiley, the real finders of the lode
were little heard Of Mclaughlin
sold his siqth interest in 1859 TO
$4,000. while O'Riley held his longe
and GOT S40 000