White Pine news. [volume] (East Ely, Nev.) 1920-1923, 1923-05-27

ter of unusual interest 20 that au-
tomobile highways are the issue OF
discussion, the White Pine News has
gone to further trouble to inyesti-
gate them and record the facts as
nearly as they may be ascertained
and verified.
Inquiry was made this week OF
Owen Sheridan at his station al
Deep creek. Mr.. Sheridan IS a pio-
neer and has lived there most of his
life. He was asked to name the To-
cation of the narrows supposed TIC
be near the Eight Mile ranch through
which the riders aud stages had to
pass, several persons having been
ambushed and shot there by redmen
hidden in two little rocky points on
either side of the gorge.
That was over the summit in
Overland canyon" said Mr.. Sheri-
Ian. There is a hole through one
of the rocks and a piece behind
where the Indians concealed them
selves and shot the people down as
they attempted 10 pass through the
A lot of people were killed
and buried there, You can find some
of the graves. They are not far from
where the people were shot
The News representative has pass
ed the place and noticed the hole
through the rock many times but
never before was aware that I wa
of such historical interest.
At that time, according to Mr..
Sheridan, there was no wash In Over
land canyon. Since then for many
years one cloudburst after another
seems to have specialized on that
particular canyon and a wash has
been cut down to a depth averaging
from ten to thirty feet and the road
has to follow ii for more than a mile
in n place and at one or two other
places for a few hundred yards. This
IS the old Lincoln highway between
Gold Hill and Callao before the Cut-
off was built.
II is a most dangerous place to
pass when the skies are filled with
black clouds. One cannot tell what
instant a wall of water ten feet high
may come surging down that narrow
gorge, the 1ides of which are so steep
and high as to make climbing a des-
perate undertaking, If not imDossi-
BILE. Two years ago Gus Carlgren,
mail carrier between Gold Hill and
Callao, was driving down the wash
in his Ford truck. lie mad a lot of
mail SACKS, parcel post and eonsid-
cradle merchandise, also two young
children with him. The rain was so
heavy that it killed his engine and
he could not start IL again. All he
could do was TO gather the children
in his arms and barely climb out of
the wash in time to W them from
drowning. His truck was carried
away and all that he recovered OF II
was the chassis. Most OF the mail
was gathered up afterward. but the
parcels and merchandise were ruined.
Slim McGee was rear in another car
and 1t was wrecked.
This is close to the hole through
the rock where the shootings occur
red. ii being close to tie old Midae
mill that vas in operation a few
years ago.
These Indian murders occurred In
civil war days and troopers from
Fort Ruby. Ruby valley. were de-
tailed to go out to that locality for
the purpose of conveying the stages
through that dangerous region. The
stages were met by the eavalrymen.
generally three in number. at the
mouth or mead of Overland canyon.
the troopers riding a few hundred
yards ahead. They were the means
of saving many lives.
Within a few hundred yards Of
the summit, on the east side, there
was a station. The water used
there had 10 be hauled from Deep
creek. a distance of about nine miles,
The News Is indebted to Dan &. Nc.
Donald for the facts relating 10 this
old station. In about 1854 a team
laden with water for the station was
being driven. up the canyon on the
Deep creek side. The driver was
known as Deaf Billy, his real namo
being forgotten. A California vol
unteer soldier named Ira Abbott and
another whose name Is forgotten
were in the wagon and had Henry
rifles. Some Indians we're ambushed
in the cedars on the north side OF
the road within 800 or 400 yards OF
the summit. Opening fire they