The silver state. [volume] (Winnemucca, Nev.) 1909-1925, 1921-09-13

and acted as assistant in surveying a
number of these mines when |. E.
James was surveying them under
ground While driving team l had
occasion to often pass this ranch or
farm now occupied by Judge Gala
han. l was well acquainted with Mr..
]. F. Clark
Before Railroad Was Built
in passing along the road in
those early days, before the railroad
was built between Humboldt county
and California it was my invariable
custom to stop at this same ranch.
then occupied by this Mr.. J. F. Clark,
commonly known as Frank Clark. On
other occasions | visited that same To-
cality hunting and fishing, all before
the building of the Central Pacific
railroad. will say that Mr.. Clark oc-
cupied that place farming it. He
improved it, extending the area of hay
by extending the irrigated portions
by building fences. He put in larger
irrigation bitches. He certainly took
means to control enough water for
lirrigating purposes, to cultivate
greater majority of the river bottom
land of that ranch.
Admitted TO Bar
I'm 1871 | was admitted to the bar
in California and returned as that to
Humboldt county and practiced law
from that time until the present, ex-
eepting two terms that | served as
District Judge, and | became well ac-
quainted with Mr.. Clark. In fact,
was his attorney for years after being
admitted to the Bar. l can say that
Mr.. Clark was the owner of stock
cattle and horses running on the
ranch in the vicinity of st. Marys, and
that he utilized portions of the hay
produced on the farm or ranch at st.
Marys as provender for his stock
during the inclement seasons of the
year. | remember well the circum-
stance of his building the quartz mill
at the upper end Of the irrigating
ditch which he had excavated some
years before. | remember Mr.. Clark
operating that mill by utilizing the
waters of the Humboldt river diverted
by the dam which he had constructed
into an aqueduct, which he also con-
structed and carried to water wheel
used for the propellation Of the ma
chinery of the quartz mill.
Here i'm 1866
I'm the year 1866 1 came to the
place where Winnemucca is now
,uilt, from Fort Churchill, on the Car
son river, and proceeded from here to
Paradise Valley, at place called
Willow Point. | also returned shortly
by the same route. l will say also
that in the year 1864, in the Spring of
the year, l was at the point called
Stone House, on the Humboldt river,
and returned to Unionville, coming
down the Humboldt river.
Frenchmen Built Canal
"At that time the Frenchmen en-
gagged in constructing what was
jailed the Humboldt Canal from the
Humboldt river at point three or
our miles easterly from Golconda,
lad all deserted the country on ac-
count of Indian hostilities, with the
exception of Louis Lay and Theo Lay,
commonly called Billy Lay, who were
at a cold spring about a
nile from the Hot Springs at Col
fonda. l think there was camp of
settlers at the point where we after
wards knew as the Badger ranch on
he Humboldt river at that time.
Nothing Here Then
IT saw no evidence of the use of
he water of the Humboldt river for
rrigating purposes between the Stone
House and where the city of Win
nemucca is now on that occasion, and
with the exception of the arti-
1cial use of water at ST. Mary's ranch
as l have stated. do not know of any
place where water of that stream had
been used for irrigation between the
Stone House and Lawson's Meadows.
But there were few places between
hose points on the river where hay
vas produced by the natural overflow
If the river and had been cut"
Questioned by Mr.. mcfarland as
o whether he had seen hay wagons
IN the ranch of st. Marys at the time
IT his first visit there, or any means
II getting hay from the land to the
tack, Mr.. Bonnifield said
Haying by Hard Work
Eyes there was large new wagon,
! wooden ak wagon with one of those |
'ld-fashioned hay racks on 1t. stand
ng just below this corral In which