Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1941-10-12

center and its surrounding Sub
urbs." Peddlers. storekeepers,
gamblers and the usual hangers
on swell the population just as
they did in the days when "Janu-
airy Jones" made his noteworthy
strike.
Some Of the newcomers are
mining virgin ore. some rework
the old dumps, while others just
wander about seeking new reefs
in the gold-fevered air. In the
heyday between 1873 and 1882
when the Comstock. Con-Virginia,
and other equally famous lodes
were running Virginia City was
at its peak But then ores were
so rich and the method of treat
ing them so imperfect that il was
Improbable to work pay-dirt
yielding less than fifty dollars a
ton. Today with the price of
gold just double the old standard.
it is possible for the greenest
tehdeffeot to make three dollar
ore pay, and maybe reap a small
fortune from the abandoned
dumps.
The new Getchell property is
lining the pockets of George
Wingfield with gold at an aston
ishing rate. and brings big re-
turns to Noble Getchell, Nevada's
first citizen and a group of in
vestors. Rumor has it that Wing
field who was broke when
Senator Getchell picked up the
valuable deposit a few years ago,
could sell his interest today for
$4,000 600. There is an even more
interesting story that Barney
Baruch Of New York, an old pal
of Wingfield's, grubstaked his
Nevada friend TO the tune Of
$4,000 until he and Getchell got
their new mine on its anything
but clay feet.
This brings TO mind another
romantic story Of the old days
which attaches 10 nearby Dia-
mondfield. and which reads like
fiction, At the beginning Of the
present century there was only a
tent city rising out Of the desert
where Diamondfield now stands.
But here "Diamondfield Jack"
struck bonanza lode Jack was
convicted of murder In Idaho. but
later pardoned out Of the peni-
Tertiary by the tireless efforts OF
his attorney who believed him
innocent Of that particular crime,
although II was known he had a
career Of wild days behind him.
Diam ondfield Jack went
straight into the sun-baked
desert and found rich. crumbling
placer gold and be ii stated for
the benefit Of all skeptics he
sent the lawyer who had given
him a chance for life and fortune
enough shares in the mine 10
keep him rich for the rest Of his
life.
But of all the Nevada towns
none has the romantic fascina-
ton Of Virginia City. II was the
golden stream from this camp,
particularly the Comstock Lode,
that built San Francisco. for old
James G.. Fair, later California
Senator, and James A. Flood the
Greens, the Crockers. and dozens
of lesser mining magnates took
their harvest TO the Bay City,
built mansions and spent their
wealth there.
II was the immensely rich
Comstock Lode that built the
first Atlantic cable, with the mil
lions that poured into the Golfers
Of John w. Mackay, father OF the
late Clarence II. Mackay And
If you listen 10 the citizens Of
Nevada. it was Virginia City gold
that won the Civil War. That
gold, they claim, turned the tide
and enabled President Lincoln to
win the conflict.
Virginia City is the pioneer
camp Tonopah, born only 40
years ago, lies in a little hollow
between the Panamint hills Bull
frog. 20 miles across the desert
following after Goldfield and Ryo-
lite, also sprang up almost over
night
Mining men say that a steady
stream of gold is again rolling
out Of Nevada, equal to that
produced in any but those almost
incredible peak years of 1873
1882 when as much as $50 000.-
600 was wrested from one Vir.
ginia City mine in a single year.
It's a lively ghost that haunts
the old boom towns today.