Year: 1875

azure skies of our own beautiful
and fertile vale of Santa Clara
ought to be truly thankful that our
"lines are cast in such pleasant
places" 1t is only when we swell
ter in the fervid heat of the interior
of our own golden State, or our
eyes rest upon the bleak wastes OF
sand, rock and sage brush that lie
beyond the Sierras, that we can
fully appreciate the contrast.
When we feel to complain of dust,
drought, short crops, late or early
frosts, and the like, we should take
trip to Nevada, and if that doesn't
cure us we are at loss to know
what will.


And yet this is wonderful land
wonderful in its very bleakness,
as though it had been smitten with
the curse of Omnipotence;-won-
derful in its inexhaustible treasures
of silver, as though the Creator
had shown his depreciation of
worldly wealth by the wretched
circumstances and surroundings
with which he has invested it in
his own domain of nature;-won-
derful, as showing the god-like
capacity of man to master the
elements that he may rifle of their
treasures the secret recesses of
these gray old mountains.


But, speculation aside. silver is
a good thing to have, when one
can't get gold. 1t will help to
piece out the attractions of exist
ence amazingly; and while it is
doubtless true that but precious
little store is set upon it in the
Infinite estimation, and we are told
that " it is easier for camel to go
through the eye of needle than
for a rich man to enter the King
dom of Heaven" still most of us
are willing to take the chances.
In fact we have seen pretty good
article OF Christian who wouldn't
object to slice of the big bonan-
"a. Certainly we would not.


LEAVING SAN JOSE


BY the $40 A. NJ. train. you will
reach Virginia City at 6:l5 the fol-
lowing morning; and should yon
start on the right day land that is
every other day. you can have the
comfort OF sleeping Car as far as
Carson. which you will be required
to vacate at 4 A. NJ, much to your
disgust at being turned out at so
unreasonable an hour. At Niles,
as per previous arrangement, we
joined w. L. Golden, of Oakland.
an old pioneer Of this Washoe
region, and the present owner of
valuable mining interests in this
king pin of all the silver lodges of
the world.


The heat of the San joaquin and
Sacramento plains was expressive:
and not until evening, as we ap-
proacLed the summit OF the Sierras,
did we find relief from the burning
rays of a torrid sun.


At Reno we take the Carson and
Virginia road-a road so everlasting
ly crooked that your train assumes
the appearance of a whip-lash, every
few rods, and the wonder is that the
last car is not snapped off into per-
dltion before you are halt way
through. Arriving


AT VIRGINIA CITY


We were soon in readiness to COM
mence the work of sight seeing.
Procuring good team we set out
for Gold Hill and Silver City called
Silver for short). Virginia is located
,on the side of ravine at the base of
Mt. Davidson, and directly over the
famous Comstock ledge. Indeed,
the city is undermined and honey
,combed with shafts, tunnels, wines
and drifts, until there is actually
danger that the bottom will fall out
some day and the whole concern
slump into kingdom come. The
principle streets run level with the
hill, and they present a scene of busy
activity during business hours. The
streets are narrow and the walks
slipshod, but there are many mas.
sive, and some elegant buildings.
1t Is already a city of great wealth,
and of such business enterprise as
characterizes no other city of its size
In the world. The magnitude of its
mining works (of which we shall
speak hereafter) surprises US above
all things else.


1t is pleasing romance of the
told Virginian," to call the attention
OF the stranger to the fact that the
streets of the city are literally paved
with silver. Thus they will tell you
that G street is deeply graded with
the "tailings" from the early work
iuuo Of tb~ ,,.;.,.,.., .s.:. ..l .