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streets。 Often we felt our chairs jar； and heard the faint boom of a
blast down in the bowels of the earth under the office。
The mountain side was so steep that the entire town had a slant to it
like a roof。 Each street was a terrace； and from each to the next street
below the descent was forty or fifty feet。 The fronts of the houses were
level with the street they faced； but their rear first floors were
propped on lofty stilts； a man could stand at a rear first floor window
of a C street house and look down the chimneys of the row of houses below
him facing D street。 It was a laborious climb； in that thin atmosphere；
to ascend from D to A street； and you were panting and out of breath when
you got there； but you could turn around and go down again like a house
a…fireso to speak。 The atmosphere was so rarified； on account of the
great altitude； that one's blood lay near the surface always； and the
scratch of a pin was a disaster worth worrying about； for the chances
were that a grievous erysipelas would ensue。 But to offset this； the
thin atmosphere seemed to carry healing to gunshot wounds； and therefore；
to simply shoot your adversary through both lungs was a thing not likely
to afford you any permanent satisfaction； for he would be nearly certain
to be around looking for you within the month； and not with an opera
glass； either。
From Virginia's airy situation one could look over a vast； far…reaching
panorama of mountain ranges and deserts； and whether the day was bright
or overcast； whether the sun was rising or setting； or flaming in the
zenith； or whether night and the moon held sway； the spectacle was always
impressive and beautiful。 Over your head Mount Davidson lifted its gray
dome； and before and below you a rugged canyon clove the battlemented
hills； making a sombre gateway through which a soft…tinted desert was
glimpsed； with the silver thread of a river winding through it； bordered
with trees which many miles of distance diminished to a delicate fringe；
and still further away the snowy mountains rose up and stretched their
long barrier to the filmy horizonfar enough beyond a lake that burned
in the desert like a fallen sun； though that； itself； lay fifty miles
removed。 Look from your window where you would； there was fascination in
the picture。 At rare intervalsbut very rarethere were clouds in our
skies； and then the setting sun would gild and flush and glorify this
mighty expanse of scenery with a bewildering pomp of color that held the
eye like a spell and moved the spirit like music。
CHAPTER XLIV。
My salary was increased to forty dollars a week。 But I seldom drew it。
I had plenty of other resources； and what were two broad twenty…dollar
gold pieces to a man who had his pockets full of such and a cumbersome
abundance of bright half dollars besides？ ＇Paper money has never come
into use on the Pacific coast。＇ Reporting was lucrative； and every man
in the town was lavish with his money and his 〃feet。〃 The city and all
the great mountain side were riddled with mining shafts。 There were more
mines than miners。 True； not ten of these mines were yielding rock worth
hauling to a mill； but everybody said； 〃Wait till the shaft gets down
where the ledge comes in solid； and then you will see！〃 So nobody was
discouraged。 These were nearly all 〃wild cat〃 mines； and wholly
worthless； but nobody believed it then。 The 〃Ophir；〃 the 〃Gould &
Curry；〃 the 〃Mexican；〃 and other great mines on the Comstock lead in
Virginia and Gold Hill were turning out huge piles of rich rock every
day； and every man believed that his little wild cat claim was as good as
any on the 〃main lead〃 and would infallibly be worth a thousand dollars a
foot when he 〃got down where it came in solid。〃 Poor fellow； he was
blessedly blind to the fact that he never would see that day。 So the
thousand wild cat shafts burrowed deeper and deeper into the earth day by
day； and all men were beside themselves with hope and happiness。 How
they labored； prophesied； exulted！ Surely nothing like it was ever seen
before since the world began。 Every one of these wild cat minesnot
mines； but holes in the ground over imaginary mineswas incorporated and
had handsomely engraved 〃stock〃 and the stock was salable； too。 It was
bought and sold with a feverish avidity in the boards every day。 You
could go up on the mountain side； scratch around and find a ledge （there
was no lack of them）； put up a 〃notice〃 with a grandiloquent name in it；
start a shaft； get your stock printed； and with nothing whatever to prove
that your mine was worth a straw； you could put your stock on the market
and sell out for hundreds and even thousands of dollars。 To make money；
and make it fast； was as easy as it was to eat your dinner。
Every man owned 〃feet〃 in fifty different wild cat mines and considered
his fortune made。 Think of a city with not one solitary poor man in it！
One would suppose that when month after month went by and still not a
wild cat mine （by wild cat I mean； in general terms； any claim not
located on the mother vein； i。e。； the 〃Comstock〃） yielded a ton of rock
worth crushing； the people would begin to wonder if they were not putting
too much faith in their prospective riches； but there was not a thought
of such a thing。 They burrowed away； bought and sold； and were happy。
New claims were taken up daily； and it was the friendly custom to run
straight to the newspaper offices； give the reporter forty or fifty
〃feet；〃 and get them to go and examine the mine and publish a notice of
it。 They did not care a fig what you said about the property so you said
something。 Consequently we generally said a word or two to the effect
that the 〃indications〃 were good； or that the ledge was 〃six feet wide；〃
or that the rock 〃resembled the Comstock〃 （and so it didbut as a
general thing the resemblance was not startling enough to knock you
down）。 If the rock was moderately promising； we followed the custom of
the country； used strong adjectives and frothed at the mouth as if a very
marvel in silver discoveries had transpired。 If the mine was a
〃developed〃 one； and had no pay ore to show （and of course it hadn't）； we
praised the tunnel； said it was one of the most infatuating tunnels in
the land； driveled and driveled about the tunnel till we ran entirely out
of ecstasiesbut never said a word about the rock。 We would squander
half a column of adulation on a shaft； or a new wire rope； or a dressed
pine windlass； or a fascinating force pump； and close with a burst of
admiration of the 〃gentlemanly and efficient Superintendent〃 of the mine
but never utter a whisper about the rock。 And those people were always
pleased； always satisfied。 Occasionally we patched up and varnished our
reputation for discrimination and stern； undeviating accuracy； by giving
some old abandoned claim a blast that ought to have made its dry bones
rattleand then somebody would seize it and sell it on the fleeting
notoriety thus conferred upon it。
There was nothing in the shape of a mining claim that was not salable。
We received presents of 〃feet〃 every day。 If we needed a hundred dollars
or so； we sold some； if not； we hoarded it away； satisfied that it would
ultimately be worth a thousand dollars a foot。 I had a trunk about half
full of 〃stock。〃 When a claim made a stir in the market and went up to a
high figure； I searched through my pile to see if I had any of its stock
and generally found it。
The prices rose and fell constantly； but still a fall disturbed us
little； because a thousand dollars a foot was our figure； and so we were
content to let it fluctuate as much as it pleased till it reached it。
My pile of stock was not all given to me by people who wished their
claims 〃noticed。〃 At least half of it was given me by persons who had no
thought of such a thing； and looked for nothing more than a simple verbal
〃thank you；〃 and you were not even obliged by law to furnish that。
If you are coming up the street with a couple of baskets of apples in
your hands； and you meet a friend； you naturally invite him to take a
few。 That describes the condition of things in Virgin