按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
few。 That describes the condition of things in Virginia in the 〃flush
times。〃 Every man had his pockets full of stock； and it was the actual
custom of the country to part with small quantities of it to friends
without the asking。
Very often it was a good idea to close the transaction instantly； when a
man offered a stock present to a friend； for the offer was only good and
binding at that moment； and if the price went to a high figure shortly
afterward the procrastination was a thing to be regretted。 Mr。 Stewart
（Senator； now； from Nevada） one day told me he would give me twenty feet
of 〃Justis〃 stock if I would walk over to his office。 It was worth five
or ten dollars a foot。 I asked him to make the offer good for next day；
as I was just going to dinner。 He said he would not be in town； so I
risked it and took my dinner instead of the stock。 Within the week the
price went up to seventy dollars and afterward to a hundred and fifty；
but nothing could make that man yield。 I suppose he sold that stock of
mine and placed the guilty proceeds in his own pocket。 ＇My revenge will
be found in the accompanying portrait。＇ I met three friends one
afternoon； who said they had been buying 〃Overman〃 stock at auction at
eight dollars a foot。 One said if I would come up to his office he would
give me fifteen feet； another said he would add fifteen； the third said
he would do the same。 But I was going after an inquest and could not
stop。 A few weeks afterward they sold all their 〃Overman〃 at six hundred
dollars a foot and generously came around to tell me about itand also
to urge me to accept of the next forty…five feet of it that people tried
to force on me。
These are actual facts； and I could make the list a long one and still
confine myself strictly to the truth。 Many a time friends gave us as
much as twenty…five feet of stock that was selling at twenty…five dollars
a foot； and they thought no more of it than they would of offering a
guest a cigar。 These were 〃flush times〃 indeed！ I thought they were
going to last always； but somehow I never was much of a prophet。
To show what a wild spirit possessed the mining brain of the community；
I will remark that 〃claims〃 were actually 〃located〃 in excavations for
cellars； where the pick had exposed what seemed to be quartz veinsand
not cellars in the suburbs； either； but in the very heart of the city；
and forthwith stock would be issued and thrown on the market。 It was
small matter who the cellar belonged tothe 〃ledge〃 belonged to the
finder； and unless the United States government interfered （inasmuch as
the government holds the primary right to mines of the noble metals in
Nevadaor at least did then）； it was considered to be his privilege to
work it。 Imagine a stranger staking out a mining claim among the costly
shrubbery in your front yard and calmly proceeding to lay waste the
ground with pick and shovel and blasting powder！ It has been often done
in California。 In the middle of one of the principal business streets of
Virginia； a man 〃located〃 a mining claim and began a shaft on it。 He
gave me a hundred feet of the stock and I sold it for a fine suit of
clothes because I was afraid somebody would fall down the shaft and sue
for damages。 I owned in another claim that was located in the middle of
another street； and to show how absurd people can be； that 〃East India〃
stock （as it was called） sold briskly although there was an ancient
tunnel running directly under the claim and any man could go into it and
see that it did not cut a quartz ledge or anything that remotely
resembled one。
One plan of acquiring sudden wealth was to 〃salt〃 a wild cat claim and
sell out while the excitement was up。 The process was simple。
The schemer located a worthless ledge； sunk a shaft on it； bought a wagon
load of rich 〃Comstock〃 ore； dumped a portion of it into the shaft and
piled the rest by its side； above ground。 Then he showed the property to
a simpleton and sold it to him at a high figure。 Of course the wagon
load of rich ore was all that the victim ever got out of his purchase。
A most remarkable case of 〃salting〃 was that of the 〃North Ophir。〃
It was claimed that this vein was a remote extension〃 of the original
〃Ophir；〃 a valuable mine on the 〃Comstock。〃 For a few days everybody was
talking about the rich developments in the North Ophir。 It was said that
it yielded perfectly pure silver in small； solid lumps。 I went to the
place with the owners； and found a shaft six or eight feet deep； in the
bottom of which was a badly shattered vein of dull； yellowish；
unpromising rock。 One would as soon expect to find silver in a
grindstone。 We got out a pan of the rubbish and washed it in a puddle；
and sure enough； among the sediment we found half a dozen black； bullet…
looking pellets of unimpeachable 〃native〃 silver。 Nobody had ever heard
of such a thing before； science could not account for such a queer
novelty。 The stock rose to sixty…five dollars a foot； and at this figure
the world…renowned tragedian； McKean Buchanan； bought a commanding
interest and prepared to quit the stage once morehe was always doing
that。 And then it transpired that the mine had been 〃salted〃and not in
any hackneyed way； either； but in a singularly bold； barefaced and
peculiarly original and outrageous fashion。 On one of the lumps of
〃native〃 silver was discovered the minted legend； 〃TED STATES OF；〃 and
then it was plainly apparent that the mine had been 〃salted〃 with melted
half…dollars！ The lumps thus obtained had been blackened till they
resembled native silver； and were then mixed with the shattered rock in
the bottom of the shaft。 It is literally true。 Of course the price of
the stock at once fell to nothing； and the tragedian was ruined。 But for
this calamity we might have lost McKean Buchanan from the stage。
CHAPTER XLV。
The 〃flush times〃 held bravely on。 Something over two years before； Mr。
Goodman and another journeyman printer； had borrowed forty dollars and
set out from San Francisco to try their fortunes in the new city of
Virginia。 They found the Territorial Enterprise； a poverty…stricken
weekly journal； gasping for breath and likely to die。 They bought it；
type； fixtures； good…will and all； for a thousand dollars； on long time。
The editorial sanctum； news…room； press…room； publication office； bed…
chamber； parlor； and kitchen were all compressed into one apartment and
it was a small one； too。 The editors and printers slept on the floor； a
Chinaman did their cooking； and the 〃imposing…stone〃 was the general
dinner table。 But now things were changed。 The paper was a great daily；
printed by steam； there were five editors and twenty…three compositors；
the subscription price was sixteen dollars a year； the advertising rates
were exorbitant； and the columns crowded。 The paper was clearing from
six to ten thousand dollars a month； and the 〃Enterprise Building〃 was
finished and ready for occupationa stately fireproof brick。 Every day
from five all the way up to eleven columns of 〃live〃 advertisements were
left out or crowded into spasmodic and irregular 〃supplements。〃
The 〃Gould & Curry〃 company were erecting a monster hundred…stamp mill at
a cost that ultimately fell little short of a million dollars。 Gould &
Curry stock paid heavy dividendsa rare thing； and an experience
confined to the dozen or fifteen claims located on the 〃main lead；〃 the
〃Comstock。〃 The Superintendent of the Gould & Curry lived； rent free； in
a fine house built and furnished by the company。 He drove a fine pair of
horses which were a present from the company； and his salary was twelve
thousand dollars a year。 The superintendent of another of the great
mines traveled in grand state； had a salary of twenty…eight thousand
dollars a year； and in a law suit in after days claimed that he was to
have had one per cent。 on the gross yield of the bullion likewise。
Money was wonderfully plenty。 The trouble was； not how to get it；but
how to spend it； how to lavish it； get rid of it； squander it。 And so it
was a happy thing that just at this juncture the news came over the wires
that a great Un