White Pine news. [volume] (East Ely, Nev.) 1920-1923, 1921-03-20
(By Il. +. M1I.LER.)
PART SIX


was virtually deserted camp, about
the only inhabitants of the district
at that time being Uncle" John
Ragsdale, who was totally blind,
.one-eyed man named Cox. and A. r.
("Buckskin" Watson, who was also
blind in one eye. These three men,
however, never lost their confidence
in the future OF the district, and the
writer has often recalled a prediction
made by Mr.. Watson.
Robinson canyon will be flourish.
ing when grass is growing in the
streets OF Ward and Taylor" said
Mr.. Watson. The public must not
think because we three men have
only two good eyes between US we
cannot see good prospects ahead for
our camp" That this prediction
has been amply fulfilled is easily
seen yet at the time the prophecy was
made earlier residents, who had left
for more prosperous camps, would
have scoffed at It. While Mr.. Watson
and Mr.. Ragsdale did not live to see
the prosperous days return. both
died firmly believing in the future
greatness of the district.
Uncle" John Ragsdale. one of
the Oldest pioneers of the state and
WHO numbered his friends by thous-
ands, was engaged in freighting at
Toano in the spring OF "a. when
the writer first visited that town
Mr. Ragsdale at that time was haul
ing freight between Toano and Min
eral City perhaps making an occas.
sional trip TO Phoebe. He later
quit freighting to engage in the
hotel business and mining at Mineral
city. II was while working one of
a 40 inf Iaf al n f.tYf
f70s that Mr. Ragsdale was In iured.
finally losing the sight OF both eyes
in spite of efforts of specialists td
save his sight.
1t was at Toano at the same time
the writer met Dave Snooks, con-.
monty known as Shotgun Dave
from the fact that he could work
smaller mules and more OF them TO
cne string of wagons than any
freighter on the road. Dave on this
trip was loading out for Deep Greek
Utah, and took along the writer and
his travelling partner. Al Forest
Freight teams from Toano for Deep
Creek st this time went south
through Steptoe valley to old Silver
Zone pass. east through the noun.
tains. and thence south through Salt
or Fish Lake valley to Deep Creek.
Ii was while camped in this valley
AAhe second night out from Toano
that a number OF teamsters. as well
as the writer and his partner, had o.
narrow escape from death. To avoid
the cold night air the entire party
had eamped in narrow rayine. the
banks rising steeply on both sides.
The moon was shining brightly when
We went TO sleep, but during the
night, preceded only by roaring
sound, a great wall of water swept
down the canyon, and the members
OF the party had Just time to climb
the steep banks TO safety when the
flood arrived. An early daylight In.
yent6ry showed no damage beyond
the loss OF set of Arthur Moore.s
harness. Al Forests hat and Dave
Snooks' pants, which diligent search
eailed To locate The deluge was
caused. we learned later. by cloud
burst during the afternoon In the
mountains many miles west of us
Even the briefest history of the
Robinson district would be incom
plete without mention OF at least
"a few OF the early-day settlers who
were prominent in the camp. Among
these were William crary, one of the
discoyerers of Lake district In the
early '70s, and Joseph Thompson
-
ors of Tamherlain townsite in ~
or 10. Mr. Thompson held down
Tamberlain for years. locating and
relocating the old claims of the dis
trict until along In 1885 or 1887,
when he sold all the timber rights
from his mining claims to the writer,
who cut and delivered the wood &c
the Argus mill for fuel
q John Bonnifield. for years pros.
i'ector in the district, was also con-
stable and night watchman at Min
cral City NJ. Bonniheld was the
irst to start placer mining in the
district. Having obtained permission
TO work over some of the old dumps
In the canyon below the furnace, In
the winter of '74-5 he extracted be.
tween $4,000 and $4,000 through
what was known as the dry-wash
process.
Jake Henderson was another of
the old-time prospectors who stayed
with the district for years, but he
was finally forced to hunt new fields
other well-known business men OF
the early days included Sam Roach
and Dick Fossett, who ran the livery
stable and a blacksmithing and
wagonmaking shop, and w. r.. Bas-
sett. saloonkeeper. Harry Feather.
stone, who located the Keystone
mine kept the station, postotfice and
a little eatinghouse down on the
creek where Ely In now located. The
postoffice and station were called
Murry Creek until the legislature In
1886 made the appropriation TO
build the courthouse, with the name
of Ely for the townsite.
In the early '70s Steptoe valley,
reported to be the longest valley west
of the Mississippi. extending 22O
miles from Thousand Spring valley,
25 miles north OF Toano. to Bull.
whack pass, twenty miles south OF
Ward. was sparsely settled North
of Cherry Creek we're ranches owned
bv Mr.. Matthew's Mr.. Ballinger, Mr.
Nelson, Ed Kelly, Pat Green and Pat
, Dolan. South of Cherry Greek were
John Burchert of Rabbit creek and
Mrs. Rawlins. Who married William