Station. The following, and for three or four successive years, further settle ments were made by these people, several families locating in Eagle and Washoe Valleys, some of them on the present sites of Carson City and Franktown. Their number afterward gradually increased to two or three hundred, some of them having been induced, while on their way to California, to settle here by the beauty and excellence of the valleys; and others coming in pursuance of instructions from their superiors at Salt Lake, whose policy it was to secure and colonize as speedily as possible all the choice spots within the rim of the Great Basin, with a view to prevent their settlement by Gentiles, as they impudently styled all opponents of their creed. The rapid population of the Pacific coast, by reason of the California gold discovery in 1848, threatening to thwart the colonization schemes of the Mormons, exposing the adherents of that faith to annoyance and contempt, they held themselves aloof from the Gentile world, and, leading to their religious demoralization where they failed to do so, caused the controlling powers to issue an edict in 1855, commanding their followers in these distant precincts to forsake the same and repair to Salt Lake. In obedience to this mandate, most of those who had built for themselves pleasant and comfortable homes in the fertile and secluded valleys of western Utah, sacrificing their property and possessions for a mere pittance, or abandoning them altogether, departed with such trifling effects as they could carry on their wagons for the central settlement, more than 600 miles distant over the mountains and deserts. Finding upon their arrival there how much they had been deceived, and disgusted with the impositions afterward practised upon them, a portion of these people, dispirited and impoverished, returned after a few years to Carson Valley, some building new and others reoccupying their former habitations. In the summer of 1849 a party of immigrants journeying toward California, having discovered an auriferous bar on the flat at the mouth of Gold Cañon, near where the town of Dayton now stands, were induced to stop here and engage in gold-washing, the diggings paying from 10 to 15 dollars per day to the hand, very nearly what was then considered California wages. To their number others coming overland were added every year thereafter, which, with some traders, adventurers, and miners drawn from California, served to swell the population of "the Eastern Slope," as this section of Utah was then called, to something over a thousand souls at the period of the silver discovery, made in the summer of 1859. Of this number one-fourth, perhaps, were engaged in mining, the balance being farmers, traders, herdsmen, etc. But little land was at that time enclosed or cultivated, the most done in the way of farming being hay-cutting, and the raising of a few vegetables, the population depending on California chiefly for their flour, and other staples of provision, as well as for clothing, hardware, etc., except in so far as these supplies could be obtained from the overland immigration. For the business of procuring and raising stock "the Eastern Slope" afforded many advantages and facilities. The valleys abounded in good water and grass, and the climate was sufficiently mild to enable animals to get through the winter without fodder or shelter, while the immigrants arriving across the plains with their working horses and cattle, and often even their loose stock, worn out and impoverished, were ready to dispose of the same on easy terms to the herders and traders, selling them for a trifle, or exchanging them for fresh animals, to enable them to continue their journey, or for provisions and such other commodities as they stood in need of. Some seasons a great deal of stock, together with wagons and other property, was abandoned by the immigrants in Carson Valley, or more frequently on the deserts beyond, the owners being unable to get it any farther. In such cases this property would be appropriated by the settlers, traders, and others, who made a business of gathering it up, going sometimes far out upon the desert for this purpose. The stock so collected, having under careful treatment recuperated, was either taken to California for a market, or kept to swell the herds of

the early settler, which often became numerous, and in some cases very large. From the year 1850 to 1860 parties were in the habit of leaving California every summer, and crossing the Sierra with small pack-trains loaded with flour, bacon, and other provisions, for the purpose of selling the same to the incoming immigrants, or bartering them for stock, which, consisting mainly of choice American horses, cows, and oxen, was in great demand in California, selling there readily, however thin in flesh, for high prices. It was the habit of these traders to proceed to Carson Valley, or points still farther east, and, meeting there the westward-bound immigrants, themselves often out of provisions, and their stock reduced to skeletons, obtain the pick of their flocks and teams on almost any terms they might see fit to propose. Apart from the political incidents. hereinafter related, but little of an eventful character transpired in connection with the early history of this region. The Mormons, who from the first had been a disturbing element in the community, continued to be a source of ceaseless disquietude, until western Utah was created into a separate Territory, whereby they were deprived of further political power. With the usurpations and outrages complained of by the Gentile population, the resident Mormons had little to do, they being themselves, for the most part, in bad standing with the ruling priesthood at Salt Lake, because of their contumacy in refusing to tarry at that place, and for their persistence in rejecting polygamy and other dogmas of the prelacy. Still they continued to be objects of aversion and distrust among their neighbors, who could neither forgive them for the acts of their rulers nor wholly suppress the prejudice excited by the very name they bore. Prior to the separation mentioned, the Mormons had entire political control of the country, making all laws and electing or appointing all subordinate public officers-a condition of things that naturally chafed their opponents a good deal, and sometimes furnished just grounds of complaint. Laws, obscure, partial, and unjust, often in contravention of the organic act and obnoxious to the moral sense of the community, were passed. Franchises were granted to the adherents of the church, while withheld from other and equally worthy applicants. Judicial and other offices were filled by persons illy qualified for the position, and unlimited jurisdiction was conferred upon inferior courts. Petty officials were sometimes invested with almost absolute power; trial by jury was virtually abolished; and, as if bent on entirely defeating the administration of justice, and destroying the very machinery of municipal government, the county of Carson, covering nearly the whole of western Utah, was for the second time dismembered, and its records removed to Salt Lake. These proceedings, as may well be supposed, greatly exasperated the anti-Mormon party, who, in denouncing the oligarchy at headquarters, abated nothing of their enmity toward such of their followers as resided among them.

Meantime certain local matters had led to dissensions among the Gentile portion of the settlers themselves, whereby the Mormons, or "Saints," as they styled themselves, from sympathizing with the weaker party, became still further the objects of popular dislike—a feeling that did not cease to influence local affairs, until the large influx of population incident to the discovery of the silvermines occurred. The following extract from a sketch of this region, published in 1862, illustrates the nature and causes of the disagreements above alluded to: "For a long time Carson Valley had served as a refuge and hiding-place for certain disreputable parties engaged in running off strayed and stolen stock from California. Owing to its remote and at that day almost inaccessible situation, it afforded a safe retreat to these depredators, the owners of the property scarcely ever making pursuit. After resting and feeding for a few days, this stock was driven thence to Salt Lake, generally by obscure routes well known to the Mormons, who frequently took a hand in this business, or, being herded for a time in some of the valleys about Carson, it was afterward disposed of to the traders coming in, or driven into California at remote points and sold.

This same class did not scruple in like manner to prey upon the overland immigrants, picking up such cattle as had strayed from camp, or through weakness fallen behind, or, where opportunity offered, stealing them outright. These dishonest practices were not engaged in by the actual residents of the valley, who sought as far as possible to suppress and discourage them, being, as a geneneral thing, an honest and honorable class of men, though not remarkable for industry and thrift. To this latter remark, however, there were exceptions, a considerable number of these people being hard-working, enterprising, and well to do in the world.

"For years these outrages had been going on with impunity, to the great scandal of the old settlers, when at length they culminated in one of unusual atrocity, and which, being attended by circumstances of both pillage and murder, aroused the entire community and brought down upon the perpetrators deserved and summary punishment."

This punishment consisted in the trial and execution of two of these supposed offenders by a "Vigilance Committee," and the banishment of others suspected of crimes from the country, a movement that, failing to secure the approval of the entire body of the people, led to bickerings and factions that kept them in a constant turmoil, resulting sometimes in personal collisions and bloody strifes.

Prior to the discovery of the Comstock mines, there were but few mechanical and no manufacturing establishments in western Utah; three saw and two flour mills, with about an equal number of blacksmith and wagon shops, comprising every thing ranking in this line of industry. These mills were all driven by water, and were mostly of limited capacity. Up to this time no roads or bridges had been built, as indeed scarcely any were needed, the country being nearly everywhere easily traversed with wagons, and the streams mostly fordable, except a few at high stages of water. Of public edifices it can hardly be said there were any, some two or three small school-houses affording all needed accommodation for educational and religious purposes. The wealth of the inhabitants, consisting chiefly of their horses and cattle, was not large; and, as most of them graduated their wants by their means, they were enabled to subsist almost wholly on the product of their flocks and the small tracts of lands they cultivated. Before the year 1859 no systematic or extended effort had been made toward building or improving a wagon-road over the Sierra Nevada lying between Utah and California. That year a road starting from Placerville was surveyed, and partly built up the South Fork of the American River, under an appropriation made by the Legislature of California, aided by contributions from the counties of Sacramento and Eldorado. The improved portion of this road, however, and that but partially completed, extended no farther than the base of the main Sierra, the point where the greatest difficulties began in crossing that range of mountains. The next year several wagon-roads leading from different points in California were begun, the most of which, having afterward been completed, afford easy transit for loaded teams across the Sierra. Over two of these thoroughfares, the one known as the Placerville and the other as the Donner Lake route, daily lines of stages are now running, while tri- and semi-weekly lines pass over several others. Some of these roads, after crossing the main mountain-ridge by a principal trunk, have numerous branches diverging on either side, affording ample facilities for communicating with the adjacent country. The aggregate cost of these improvements has amounted to considerably over a million of dollars, the sums expended on the Placerville route alone making a total of more than half that amount. They are nearly all the work of private enterprise, having been built and still being maintained as toll-roads. Several of them have proved sources of great profit to the proprietors, while others have been financial failures, their revenues being insufficient or barely enough to keep them in repair. Yet even the building of these has in some cases conferred much benefit upon the public at large.

Before the inauguration of the silver-mining era, in 1859, there were no towns of magnitude in this part of Utah Territory-Genoa, the largest place, not containing over two hundred inhabitants, while Carson City, the next in size, had a still smaller number. Besides these, Chinatown, Johnstown, and Gold Hill, mining-camps, and Mottsville and Franktown, agricultural hamlets, were the only places deserving even the name of villages. Upon the discovery of the silver-mines, population rapidly increased, and a great number of towns were laid out, a few of which were speedily built up, Virginia City taking the lead, while Carson, also a place of quick growth, followed up at a slower pace. After these, and during the next three or four years, Silver City, Gold Hill, Aurora, Dayton, Ophir, Austin, Genoa, Empire, and Washoe Cities, gradually expanded into active towns; several camps in the Humboldt region and elsewhere having meantime grown into considerable villages, the most of them to experience a short-lived prosperity and afterward decline. Many other towns were projected in different parts of the country, but being too far in advance of mineral development, few of them ever attained to any size. The winter of 1859-'60 being unusually rigorous, the pioneer settlers in Washoe (as the country, upon the discovery of silver, came to be called) suffered many deprivations and discomforts, provisions being scarce, and their habitations, hastily constructed of the most rude and flimsy material, affording them but inadequate protection against the inclement weather. There was also such an insufficiency of fodder that more than one-third of the stock in the country perished from starvation and cold before the month of May of the latter year, the little hay gathered the preceding summer being early consumed by the demand that had so suddenly sprung up. Many of the farmers and herdsmen suffered severely from this cause, losing not only their young stock and that intended for the shambles, but also many cows, horses, and work-cattle.

Early in the month of May, 1860, four white men, stopping at Williams Station, on the lower Carson River, were murdered, while asleep, by a small party of Indians. This bloody act, though provoked by gross outrages previously committed against the savages by the proprietors of the place, all but one of whom were absent and escaped massacre, called for speedy punishment. Instead, however, of pursuing the individual murderers and bringing them to justice, an indiscriminate war was undertaken against the entire tribe of Pah-Utahs, to whom this band belonged. A company of one hundred and fifty men, well armed and mounted, having collected at Carson, took their departure, under Major Ormsby, an early settler on "the Eastern Slope," for Pyramid Lake, intending to attack the Indians gathered at that place. The latter, however, apprised of their purpose, left their camp at the lake, and, proceeding up the Tucker River a few miles to a narrow pass, there concealed themselves, to the number of several hundred, on either side of the stream. The banks of the defile selected by them were covered with rocks, affording them perfect protection, and through it their foes were obliged to pass. When the latter, ignorant of danger, were well advanced into this gorge, and within musket-range, the savages opened fire upon them, shooting down their leaders and throwing the main body into temporary disorder. The whites, however, recovering from the shock, rallied, and manfully standing their ground, picked off such Indians as appeared in sight; but with so little show of effectual resistance, that they were finally obliged to abandon the unequal combat, some twenty of their number having been killed, besides many wounded. Amongst those who fell was Ormsby, the leader of the expedition, Captain Storey, Richard Snowden, and several other well-known and much-esteemed citizens. Apprehensive that the savages, encouraged by their success, would advance upon the frontier settlements, much consternation for a time prevailed in Virginia City and other exposed localities. Application was made to California for aid, from which place arms and troops were at once dispatched, and an additional force having meantime been raised in Utah, the whole took up their line of march

toward the scene of this lamentable repulse, hoping that the Indians, by remaining in that vicinity, would afford them an opportunity to avenge the death of those who had already fallen. But the enemy, too wise to await the arrival of this more formidable body, decamped, and, fleeing into the northern deserts, placed themselves beyond the reach of their pursuers. After a useless chase and some skirmishing between small parties, in which a few Indians were killed, the troops were withdrawn from the field, and finally disbanded, leaving the savages unsubdued, and, in fact, more hostile and dangerous than before-a condition of things that tended much to discourage immigration and retard the exploration of the country, inasmuch as travellers and prospecting parties could not, for some time after, proceed to any distance from the more populous settlements without danger. Considered in its immediate and more remote results, it may safely be calculated that these Indian difficulties set the whole country back at least one year.

Prior to the month of June, 1860, all the ore taken from the Comstock ledge, with the exception of trifling quantities worked in arrastras, and at a small water-mill on Carson River, had been sent to San Francisco for sale or reduction. In August of that year the first quartz-mills erected in the Territory were completed, that built under the superintendence of Almorin B. Paul, known as the Washoe Mill, situate at Devil's Gate, being the first of these establishments started. The same day (August 13, 1860), Coover's mill at Gold Hill got up steam, being but an hour or two behind the other in commencing operations. Once entered upon, the building of quartz-mills progressed so rapidly that, in less than two years from the completion of the first, there were over eighty of these works, carrying twelve thousand stamps, in operation, the aggregate cost of which was nearly four million dollars; the development of the mines, the building of roads, and other improvements, having kept even pace with the construction of quartz-mills. During these two years the town of Virginia, from a small village, grew into a city of eight or ten thousand inhabitants; Carson, Gold Hill, Dayton, and Aurora, increased to considerable towns, while a number of populous centres were established elsewhere in the mining, lumbering, or agricultural districts. A flood occurring in the fall of 1861, followed by one still more serious the ensuing spring, caused great destruction to the roads, mills, dams, ditches, and similar property, throughout the Territory, interrupting for a time the progress of work, and diminishing the product of bullion. The aggregate of losses caused by these floods and the accompanying storms, including those arising from interrupted labor, amounted to over two million dollars. For a more detailed account of individual enterprises and branches of business, local improvements, etc., the chapters descriptive of the several counties in the State may be consulted.

Having thus glanced at the leading facts connected with the early settlement of Nevada, it may be expedient, before proceeding to speak in detail of its mineral wealth and industrial progress, to present a brief narrative of its political history, following the same with some account of the topography, physical features, and natural productions of the country.

POLITICAL HISTORY OF NEVADA.

THE territory comprised within the limits of this State originally belonged to Mexico, being a part of that purchased by our Government under the treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, consummated in 1848. Prior to its alienation by the Republic of Mexico, it was included in the department of "Alta California.' After its acquisition by the United States it formed a part of the Territory of Utah, constituting the western portion thereof, from which it was separated by act of Congress, approved March 2, 1861, and erected into the Territory of Nevada. Anterior to this event, an attempt was made by the then residents of