White Pine news. [volume] (East Ely, Nev.) 1920-1923, 1921-06-26
a, 7. B. TuLEoRD.

Forty-nine years ago this summer
when the writer landed in Nye ant
White Pine counties. being employed
In bringing In several hundred heat
OF horses owned by Thomas Hallowa,
and William Campbell OF Santa Bar
bara, Cal, there vert nc stock. cattle
horses or sheep Of any CONSEQUENCE.
on the ranges and feed vas plentiful
That year-1S72-wasra drought
year in California and owners Of
large league" Spanish ranches
were selling stock on cheap in ordei
to cut up their land to sell to people
coming In from the east and seeking
homes. The outfit the writer be-
longed to cost 1926 per head. Sheer
were offered for &c cents per head,
with but few buyers. Stock cattle
were a trife better in price than
horses.
Dan Murphy of San Jose, Cal. d
partner with A c. Cleveland in the
Spring valley ranch. brought several
thousand head Of cattle into Nye and
White Pine counties hat year. Sam
Ketcham. later Of the Ketcham ranch.
In Snake valley. also brought a large
band of horses to this district that
year.
Duckwater at that time was set
tied by Isaac Irwin, on the south;
next above was Charles Sampson:
Bert Strait, McSelf. James McMinn.
Eosinger, James Worthington. John
Collins and a Mr.. North at the head
of the stream. The Bosinger ranch
was purchased the next year by John
Williams and shortly afterward sold
to Joe Mendes OF Eureka.
Wild hay was the principal crop
In the Duckwater region. although
about zoo tons OF grain was thrashed
the Irwin, Worthington and Col
Inns ranches in 1873.
A store was established by Mr.. and
Mrs. Jacques between the Sampson
and Strait ranches In 1874 or 1875.
Mr.. and Mrs. Jacques were the par
ents Of Mesdames Sampson, McSelf,
Williams and Mrs. William
Mendes. They had 1--WE daughters
and one son.
At Currant Creek. fourteen miles
of Duckwater, lived Rich
ard Barnes. Joe Sabron, Walter Whit |
III. Alex Mccullough and Dave Lem
non. The following year-f873-
hilbert and Henry Purdee bought the
Xhitall ranch. During the years 1874
nd 1875 Little Joe" Travis and
'ames Johnson took up ranches high
r up the creek. respectively. Lit
ie Joe." or "Currant Creek joe" 81
allied to distinguish him from Cave
ALLEY" Joe Travis. and the latter
rere cousins, also cousins OF Jot and
Yes Travis.
Jake ShalIenberger. Frank Kicker,
afterward acquired
Sampson ranch-and Sam Cain
ere running large OK or bull teams
hay to Eureka, Hamilton and
ybo. sixty. ~thirty-eight and seventy !;
,iles distant respectively. The fall
nd winter OF 1874 hay was bring L
ng $50 per ton in the frst two camps
$40 per ton for hauling.
these BUN teams John Mel
on, John Williams and others we're
horse teams. BY teams u
meant from Ave to eight span or
oke.
But Of all the teaming outfits of
hose days ". L. Pritchard was thu
hief. He maintained a through line
rom Palisade by way Of Eureka.
Currant, Bristol to Phoebe
nd Bullionville. lie had a slow
four times a week from Pal
sade to Phoebe. each outfit concisting
( from sixteen to twenty-five mules.
With heavy Norman or Clydesdaie
vheelers. and with a train Of from
hree to five wagons. Also a daily
OF ten to twelve horses and
three to FIVE wagons, called the
last freight. which nyer stopped ex-
,ept to change teams at the stations.
In January, 1873. Pritchard put on
D daily six-horse Concord coach stage
line. The stations were from seven
teen TO twenty-five miles apart. The
were long stockade AFFAIRS,
more than 100 head Of an
imals. A cook and hostler vas locat-
ed at every station. The large teams
yer furnished with a "swamper" or
helper during the winter months
Pritchard. or "Eick-o-the-Woods."
as he was called. boosted that he
could haul on wagons anything the
railroad could bring him. As an in