The Eureka sentinel. [volume] (Eureka, Nev.) 1902-current, 1920-10-02
Noted Goldfield Pioneer
Is To Leave Nevada

Southern Nevada, is about to shake the dust of the desert from
his patent feathers. Announcement of his intention will re-
suit in a testimonial from an army of ardent friends who have
shared the joys and disappointments of three mining booms
with the departing pioneer.
The name of "Mit' Detch is inseparably associated with
the opening and developing of Southern Nevada and it is not
venturing too far to state that had it not been for the energy,
enthusiasm and persistence of Detch the desert region would
irving in Goldfeld from Ouray, Colo, in the fall of 1904 with
no more capital than a typewriter of the machine variety, Detch
began to make his influence felt in the community of tattered
rag shacks that constituted the whole camp. He was a live wire
or hope of a telegraph service and therefore he had to rustic for
a living. He lost no time in lining up for a meal ticket, which
was not an easy accomplishment in those days when a few iron
men in a prospector's jeans elevated him to the rank of a pluto
GRAFT.
1t did not take Detch very long to line up his fellow pio-
neers in a movement that crystalized in heralding Goldfeld as
the home of the greatest boosters on earth. Before the mines
began to make good and at a time when the name of Goldfeld
had not yet become known generally outside of Nevada, a stock
exchange was organized with Detch as vne-president. This
was followed by a demand on the small" stock exchange of
San Francisco to put in a direct wire. The demand was so i'm
down in the place where the Joshua trees sprout insisted that
they wanted some means of trading and threatened that unless
would be turned over to the big exchange where the Comstocks
had reached a glorious zenith. This brought the struggling
young brokers to a realization that there might be something
doing down in Southern Nevada and they eventually agreed to
install a solitary wire to handle the business. About that time
ators working day and night could not get away with the vol
ume of business, much of which had to be sent by mail to Reno
A Chamber of Commerce was in order to furnish an outlet
for the energies of the 10000 boosters who had listened to the
siren tale of the gold diggers and Mit Detch was elected first
president. 1t was through the instrumentality of this organiza-
field and it was due to the enthusiasm of Detch that a train of
special sleeping cars was brought in from Carson City to bring
tives down to the new gold camp that thy might hear for them
selves the everlasting praise of the populace for aiding the camp
in securing the county seat. 1t was estimated that that special
train, with all its liquid trimmings, cost the Goldfeld boosters
over $25, 900, for the guests were not allowed to buy a drink,
they wore the badge of the GoIdfeld boosters. For three days
Goldfeld held open house, wine was more plentiful than water
and relays of musicians at So an hour were kept on the job for
seventy-two ear-racking hours. With a membership of 200
s aeelHe nr0K Mas d sne yGla%e and Of I both inst Wa : ! . gr eond snet an tbree
calls daily with the night sessions frequently extending beyond
midnight and everybody making. money.
A lodge of Elks was organized with Detch for the first ex-
allied ruler and in rapid succession he received similar honors
from the Eagles, Woodmen and Knights of Pythias. The first
tribe of Red Men in Southern Nevada was credited to the rest
less Detch, who also showed his Joining proclivities by aiding
tons there was something lacking in the social life of the camp
and this was finally supplied by the incorporation of the Mon
tezuma Club, which stood as the highest achievement of con-
vivial pioneers and during its day with out a peer on the surface
of the universe, The Montezuma Club was the only social re-
man over forty years of age, Another exclusive prerogative
ton peculiar to Goldheld but it should not be inferred that the
guests drank from the tubs. The club was a stickier for the
tubs into the ordinary glasses by coored walters armed with
galvanized iron ladies.
During the boom Detch was immortalized by representing
as secretary and treasurer over 800 mining companies, which
made him the front of a $500, 600, 900 business. This ubiquty
attracted the notice Of Golfers Weekly which sent a special
commissioner to the new gold camp to ascertain how one man
could master the details of SO many companies. When the in
light with the discovery OF a corps OF fourteen. stenographers
offices where every inch of wall space was occupied with stock,
books or seals. Speaking OF typewriters, It may be mentioned
incidentally that Detch dld MS hrst ypeWrltlng In Inc camp U.s.
ing a faro table to support the machine.
When the Bullfrog boom broke on the world, Mr.. Detch
was in the peak of his prosperity and he came in for the greater
share of the business of the new district maintaining offices at
Rhyolte and Bullfrog. He organized the Original Bullfrog,
the first mining company of the new district, and annexed the
job of secretary and treasurer for over thirty companies around
Rhyolte.
During the course of ten years it is estimated that Detch
cleaned up over S., 100000, most of which went out as quickly
as it came, as the young organizer never permitted a case Of dis
tress or an appeal to pass by without substantial recognition.
One of his famous exploits in the get-rich-quick era Melted him
500, 900 for services that did not occupy five minutes and with
ont the drafting of a line of legal phraseOlOgy or the serving OF
any papers. 1t occurred one frosty morning just before dawn
as Detch was retiring for the day. His phone rang with a sum-
from, q ununu San Erancisca millionaire whose fortune was