The Coolidge examiner., 1934-01-26

once more. Thousands of men and
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-covered 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" coming to life
again. Old shacks are being patched up and
smoke rises from their chimneys.
Buildings along deserted streets are being rem
ovated, repainted and repaired in preparation
for the opening up OF business enterprises.
Among these rejuvenated mining camps is Vir-
gna City, New, and the activity there recalls
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 II was the search for gold which
led 10 its discovery II 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, though the discovery of
the Comstock Lode took place three-quarters of
n century ago.
The story OF the Comstock Lode has been told
and retold many times but seldom II ever, has
II been told more interestingly in all its rami-
fcations than in two books by G. b. Glasscock
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 BobbsMerr company. The scene
OF this modern fairy tale was valley in Storey
NTH Of
and more particularly mushroom mining camp
which had sprung up In Gold Canyon late in the
hfties.
Among those who eked out a bare existence
there were men whose names were destined for
future fame There was Henry Thomas Paige
Comstock, lanky. loud voiced, boastful, bully
ing prospector with a short chin beard and
shaven upper lip which gave him a sanctimoni-
Gus air entirely out of keeping with his real
character. He was known famlliarly as Old
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 boastng Of his
native state. who had drifted into the region
with the Mormon expedition of 1851 and re-
mained TO become famous as he was bibu-
lOus There were Peter O'Riley, Patrick Nc
Laughlin, Nanny Penrod, Jack Bishop, Joe Win
ters and few other choice spirits with some
claim to fame"
One January day In 1859 a group of these
Johntown prespectors took samples from the
slope on the upper east side of the canyon and
washed the dirt in a tiny spring nearby. Each
pan of dirt showed from eight IL fifteen cents
worth OF gold. This wasn't rich strike of
course but II sufficiently encouraging so
that they set up tents and brush huts and es-
tablished 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 enough for the
Johntowners, who were earning an average of
81 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 30 or so men who made
up the settlement They scattered, searching for
more Prospecting interest centered for a time
near the head of Six-Mile 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 $1.50 to 81
day. Ii was poor pay. The Irishmen were 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 grub-stake. So they re-
maned and toiled and sweat, and instead OF
500. received S43,500w
And this is where the fairy story of the Com
stock Lode begins. For these two Irishmen were
the real discoverers of the vein of precious metal
the like of which has never been seen In the
world since but il bears the name of neither of
them. Instead IL bears the name Of that "lanky,
loud-voiced. boastful. bullying prospector" Hen
~ Thomas Paige Comstock, and it was thus
christened "by sheer force of loud voice and
some cunning understanding of human nature"
The story of the discovery by O'Riley and Nc
Laughn and Comstock's part In it is told by
GlaSscOck as follows:
1T happened that upon the day when O'Riley
and Mclaughlin made their first cleanup,
amounting to more than $500, 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 Irlshmen, cleaning their rocker
for the day.
zone glance was sufficient. You've struck it.
bows he shouted, and promptly declared himself
in The only trouble is that you've struck 1t on
nv land YOu know | bought this spring from