White Pine news. [volume] (East Ely, Nev.) 1920-1923, 1921-05-26
NEVADA STATE IN THE MAKING;
HOW WARD WAS DISCOVERED

his sleepers in Bakers team. Coates,
pulling his six-shooter from its
holster. commanded Baker TO "un-
yoke those sieepers damn quick. "
Baker, who was not acquainted with
Coates and who did not know which
OF the sleepers belonged to him. at
once stripped the yokes from all of
the oxen except one, his off leader,
which was the only animal of his own
In the entire outfit.
Coates, then realizing the predica-
ment he would leave Baker in IL he
insisted OH freeing all OF the sleepers,
asked Humpy il he had a file in his
tool kit Upon receiving an affirma-
tive answer Coates then replied,
then file the three Cs from the horns
of those two bulls and keep them, but
III | ever again catch you west OF
White Pine mountain | will kill YOU
on the srot.' Humpy. thoroughly
alarmed needed the warning and
died east OF the mountains in the
early '90s. This tale fitly explains
The big-heartedness of Coates. who
always had a sympathetic feeling for
any man engaged I'm the same line of
business. while his threat. taken SC
seriously hy Baker, was never meant
10 be carried out.
The discovery of ore at Ward and
the development of the camp was due
directly TO the freighting business, as
1t was while hunting sleeper bulls
one summer day in 1872 that William
Ballinger and John Henry made the
first ore discovery i'm what later cane
to be known as the Ward district
Henry and Ballinger took samples of
the likely-looking outcrop they dis
covered through to Cherry Creek
where assays brought them such good
returns that they brought several
men, with grub. tools. ammunition
and camp outfit back TO the scene OF
their discovery on their return trip
from Toano TO Phoebe
Camp wds made at Willow Creek
and Ballinger and Henry proceeded
To file on a number OF claims cover
Ing their new discovery. The one
known As the Paymaster proved. !
believe. TO be the most valuable Bal
linger and Henry put two men TO
work sinking a shaft and when they
had reached a depth OF about forty
fye feet. with a great deal of prom
ising ore in sight. they sold out to
Judge Frazell. who made the pur-
chase either Tor himself or on behalf
of his San Francisco associates This
| believe, was in the fall of 1873
Henry. who continued his freight
ing business until 1874. then pulled
of the road and settled in Ward
where he was for years one OF the
leading citizens of the camp In
1882 he iaafe the race fer county
commissioner but was defeated by I'd
Crowley of Cherry Creek Ballinger
after selling out his mining interests
&c Frazell. bought aad settled on
what was later known as the Currie
ranch. thirty niles north of Cherry
Greek. This ranch he later sold to
Mr.. cnrrie and then moved 10 Toano
Immediately after Henry and Bal.
linger had sold TO Judge Frazell. b
+. Ward. George Tyler and Ben Nit
ten. all from Mineral City. located
the new townsite, which was named
Ward in honor of one of the locators
The writer was well acquainted with
Mr.. Ward, Mr.. Tyler and Mr. Mitten.
rs we'll as with Jldge Frazell. and
the facts as set forth here are as
given to him n the time he located
in Mineral City in 1874 The writ
RS partner. Allen Forrest. went TO
Ward to work for Judge Frazel in
the fall of 1874. while the writer,
after spending November To No
yember ) in Eureka, returned to
the Robinson district