The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1934-01-19

through the veins Of Americans
once more. Thousands Of men and
Jwomen--yes even children ARE
- washing and sluicing the sands of
~ western streams ''panning for pay
dirt" just as the placer miners did in the golden
days of 40. Old shafts are being re-explored and
grass dumps are being worked over
again. "Thar's gold in them thar hills has be-
come again something more than a convention
al literary joke
In the old time gold camps of California, Mon
tana Colorado, South Dakota and Nevada, either
dead or sleeping these many years, there is re-
newed activity. "Ghost towns" are coming to life
again. Old shacks are being patched up and
once more smoke rises from their chimneys.
Buildings along deserted streets are being rem
ovated, repainted and repaired in preparation
for the opening up Of new business enterprises.
Among these rejuvenated mining camps is Vir-
ginia City, New, and the activity there recalls
once more the romantic story Of the Comstock
Lode. And since President Roosevelt issued his
order for reconciliation Of silver, thus stimulat-
ing the mining of this metal again. there is all
the more reason for recalling the Comstock Lode.
For even though 1t was the search for gold which
led to its discovery, It the silver in that lode
which made Virginia City the greatest mining
town upon the continent" and set the stage for
series Of dramatic events, echoes Of which are
heard to this day, even though the discovery Of
the Comstock Lode took place three-Quarters Of
a century ago.
The story Of the Comstock Lode has been told
and retold many times but seldom, If ever, has
it been told more interestingly, in all its ra1ni
ications than in two books by G. B. Glasscock
1.-THE Big Bonanza-the Story Of the Comstock
Lode" and Lucky Baldwin-the Story of an I'm
conventional Success" published in recent
months by the Bobbs Merrill company. The scene
nf this Fairy was q valley N Storey
county, Nevada few miles southeast of Reno,
and more particularly mushroom mining camp
which had sprung up in Gold Canyon late In the
fftfes.
Among those who eked out bare existence
there were men whose names were destined for
future fame. There was Henry Thomas Paige
Comstock, a lanky, loud voiced. boastful, bully
ing prospector with short chin beard and
shaver upper lip which gave him sanctimon-
Gus air entirely out Of keeping with his real
character. He was known familarly as odd
Pancake because he subsisted chiefly upon flap
jacks insisting he was always too busy to make
the sour dough bread of the miners.
"There was James Finney or Fennimore. a
drunken, irresponsible teamster otherwise known
as old Virginia. for his habit Of Boosting of his
native state, who had drifted into the region
with the Mormon expedition of 1851 and re-
manned to become as famous as he was bibu-
lOuS. 1AcFc were IeleI " olic9i HdlTlk NC
Laughlin, Nanny Penrod, Jack Bishop, Joe Win
tiers and a few other choice spirits with some
claim to fame"
One January day in 1859 a group of these
Johntown prospectors took samples from the
slope on the upper east side of the canyon and
washed the dirt in tiny spring nearby. Each
pan of dirt showed from eight to fifteen cents
worth of gold. This wasn't a rich strike, of
course. but it was sufficiently encouraging so
4.
tablished q new settlement to which they gave
the name of Gold HILL
After several weeks, pay dirt of sufficient rich
ness to reward them with SIS or $50 day for
their work was found. ''That was enough for the
Johntowners who were earning an average of
$4 Johntown moved to Gold Hill. The slopes
swarmed with prospectors But the rich ground
was limited. There was not enough to provide
profitable claims for the 70 or so men who made
up the settlement They scattered, searching for
more. Prospecting interest centered for time
near the head of Six-Aiile canyon.
"There in the spring Of 1859 Peter O'Riley
and Patrick Mclaughlin, who had been mining
in the district for several years, opened trench
from which they took wage of $3.50 to 81
day. 1t was poor pay. The Irishmen we're dis
couraged. They wanted to get away to new
placer strike on Walker river, Of which there
was much talk in camp. But they were broke.
They needed 500 for grubstake So they re-
manned and toiled and sweat and instead of
500. received $4S500!"
And this is where the fairy story of the Com
stock Lode begins. For these two Irshmen were
the real discoveries Of the vein Of precious metal,
the like Of which has never been seen in the
world since but 1t bears the name of neither of
them. Instead 1t bears the name Of that "lanky,
loud-voiced, boastful, bullying prospector" Hen
ry Thomas Paige Comstock, and 1t was thus
christened "by sheer force of a loud voice and
some cunning understanding of human nature"
The story of the discovery by O'Riley and Nc
Laughlin and Comstocks part in it is told by
Glasscock as follows:
ut happened that upon the day when O'Riley
and Mclaughlin made their first cleanup,
amounting to more than 5000. Comstock was
searching the slopes for a horse which he had
turned out to rustic for living. He had found
the horse and was riding back to Gold Hill when
he came upon the Irishmen, cleaning their rocker
for the day.
zone glance was sufficient. You've struck 1t,
boysl he shouted, and promptly declared himself
in. The only trouble Is that you've struck 1t on
my land You know bought this spring from