roughing it-第42章

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honest　hard…working　men　are　literally　starving　for　whiskey。〃　　＇Riotous
applause。＇　　He　had　been　assisting　in　a　regal　spree　with　those　parties　for
hours。　　We　dragged　him　away　and　put　him　to　bed。

Of　course　there　was　no　school　report　in　the　Union；　and　Boggs　held　me
accountable；　though　I　was　innocent　of　any　intention　or　desire　to　compass
its　absence　from　that　paper　and　was　as　sorry　as　any　one　that　the
misfortune　had　occurred。

But　we　were　perfectly　friendly。　　The　day　that　the　school　report　was　next
due；　the　proprietor　of　the　〃Genessee〃　mine　furnished　us　a　buggy　and　asked
us　to　go　down　and　write　something　about　the　propertya　very　common
request　and　one　always　gladly　acceded　to　when　people　furnished　buggies；
for　we　were　as　fond　of　pleasure　excursions　as　other　people。　　In　due　time
we　arrived　at　the　〃mine〃nothing　but　a　hole　in　the　ground　ninety　feet
deep；　and　no　way　of　getting　down　into　it　but　by　holding　on　to　a　rope　and
being　lowered　with　a　windlass。　　The　workmen　had　just　gone　off　somewhere
to　dinner。　　I　was　not　strong　enough　to　lower　Boggs's　bulk；　so　I　took　an
unlighted　candle　in　my　teeth；　made　a　loop　for　my　foot　in　the　end　of　the
rope；　implored　Boggs　not　to　go　to　sleep　or　let　the　windlass　get　the　start
of　him；　and　then　swung　out　over　the　shaft。　　I　reached　the　bottom　muddy
and　bruised　about　the　elbows；　but　safe。　　I　lit　the　candle；　made　an
examination　of　the　rock；　selected　some　specimens　and　shouted　to　Boggs　to
hoist　away。　　No　answer。　　Presently　a　head　appeared　in　the　circle　of
daylight　away　aloft；　and　a　voice　came　down：

〃Are　you　all　set？〃

〃All　sethoist　away。〃

〃Are　you　comfortable？〃

〃Perfectly。〃

〃Could　you　wait　a　little？〃

〃Oh　certainlyno　particular　hurry。〃

〃Wellgood　by。〃

〃Why？　　Where　are　you　going？〃

〃After　the　school　report！〃

And　he　did。　　I　staid　down　there　an　hour；　and　surprised　the　workmen　when
they　hauled　up　and　found　a　man　on　the　rope　instead　of　a　bucket　of　rock。
I　walked　home；　toofive　milesup　hill。　　We　had　no　school　report　next
morning；　but　the　Union　had。

Six　months　after　my　entry　into　journalism　the　grand　〃flush　times〃　of
Silverland　began；　and　they　continued　with　unabated　splendor　for　three
years。　　All　difficulty　about　filling　up　the　〃local　department〃　ceased；
and　the　only　trouble　now　was　how　to　make　the　lengthened　columns　hold　the
world　of　incidents　and　happenings　that　came　to　our　literary　net　every
day。　　Virginia　had　grown　to　be　the　〃livest〃　town；　for　its　age　and
population；　that　America　had　ever　produced。　　The　sidewalks　swarmed　with
peopleto　such　an　extent；　indeed；　that　it　was　generally　no　easy　matter
to　stem　the　human　tide。　　The　streets　themselves　were　just　as　crowded　with
quartz　wagons；　freight　teams　and　other　vehicles。　　The　procession　was
endless。　　So　great　was　the　pack；　that　buggies　frequently　had　to　wait　half
an　hour　for　an　opportunity　to　cross　the　principal　street。　　Joy　sat　on
every　countenance；　and　there　was　a　glad；　almost　fierce；　intensity　in
every　eye；　that　told　of　the　money…getting　schemes　that　were　seething　in
every　brain　and　the　high　hope　that　held　sway　in　every　heart。　　Money　was
as　plenty　as　dust；　every　individual　considered　himself　wealthy；　and　a
melancholy　countenance　was　nowhere　to　be　seen。　　There　were　military
companies；　fire　companies；　brass　bands；　banks；　hotels；　theatres；　〃hurdy…
gurdy　houses；〃　wide…open　gambling　palaces；　political　pow…wows；　civic
processions；　street　fights；　murders；　inquests；　riots；　a　whiskey　mill
every　fifteen　steps；　a　Board　of　Aldermen；　a　Mayor；　a　City　Surveyor；　a
City　Engineer；　a　Chief　of　the　Fire　Department；　with　First；　Second　and
Third　Assistants；　a　Chief　of　Police；　City　Marshal　and　a　large　police
force；　two　Boards　of　Mining　Brokers；　a　dozen　breweries　and　half　a　dozen
jails　and　station…houses　in　full　operation；　and　some　talk　of　building　a
church。　　The　〃flush　times〃　were　in　magnificent　flower！　　Large　fire…proof
brick　buildings　were　going　up　in　the　principal　streets；　and　the　wooden
suburbs　were　spreading　out　in　all　directions。　　Town　lots　soared　up　to
prices　that　were　amazing。

The　great　〃Comstock　lode〃　stretched　its　opulent　length　straight　through
the　town　from　north　to　south；　and　every　mine　on　it　was　in　diligent
process　of　development。　　One　of　these　mines　alone　employed　six　hundred
and　seventy…five　men；　and　in　the　matter　of　elections　the　adage　was；　〃as
the　'Gould　and　Curry'　goes；　so　goes　the　city。〃　　Laboring　men's　wages　were
four　and　six　dollars　a　day；　and　they　worked　in　three　〃shifts〃　or　gangs；
and　the　blasting　and　picking　and　shoveling　went　on　without　ceasing；　night
and　day。

The　〃city〃　of　Virginia　roosted　royally　midway　up　the　steep　side　of　Mount
Davidson；　seven　thousand　two　hundred　feet　above　the　level　of　the　sea；　and
in　the　clear　Nevada　atmosphere　was　visible　from　a　distance　of　fifty
miles！　　It　claimed　a　population　of　fifteen　thousand　to　eighteen　thousand；
and　all　day　long　half　of　this　little　army　swarmed　the　streets　like　bees
and　the　other　half　swarmed　among　the　drifts　and　tunnels　of　the
〃Comstock；〃　hundreds　of　feet　down　in　the　earth　directly　under　those　same
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　s