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！
it did yield was worth from 250 to 300 in gold per ton in the market。
Presently Smith traded a few acres of the ranch for a small undeveloped
silver mine in Gold Hill。 He opened the mine and built a little
unpretending ten…stamp mill。 Eighteen months afterward he retired from
the hay business； for his mining income had reached a most comfortable
figure。 Some people said it was 30；000 a month； and others said it was
60；000。 Smith was very rich at any rate。
And then he went to Europe and traveled。 And when he came back he was
never tired of telling about the fine hogs he had seen in England； and
the gorgeous sheep he had seen in Spain； and the fine cattle he had
noticed in the vicinity of Rome。 He was full of wonders of the old
world； and advised everybody to travel。 He said a man never imagined
what surprising things there were in the world till he had traveled。
One day； on board ship； the passengers made up a pool of 500； which was
to be the property of the man who should come nearest to guessing the run
of the vessel for the next twenty…four hours。 Next day； toward noon； the
figures were all in the purser's hands in sealed envelopes。 Smith was
serene and happy； for he had been bribing the engineer。 But another
party won the prize！ Smith said：
Here； that won't do！ He guessed two miles wider of the mark than I did。〃
The purser said； 〃Mr。 Smith； you missed it further than any man on board。
We traveled two hundred and eight miles yesterday。〃
〃Well； sir；〃 said Smith； 〃that's just where I've got you； for I guessed
two hundred and nine。 If you'll look at my figgers again you'll find a 2
and two 0's； which stands for 200； don't it？and after 'em you'll find a
9 （2009）； which stands for two hundred and nine。 I reckon I'll take that
money； if you please。〃
The Gould & Curry claim comprised twelve hundred feet； and it all
belonged originally to the two men whose names it bears。 Mr。 Curry owned
two thirds of itand he said that he sold it out for twenty…five hundred
dollars in cash； and an old plug horse that ate up his market value in
hay and barley in seventeen days by the watch。 And he said that Gould
sold out for a pair of second…hand government blankets and a bottle of
whisky that killed nine men in three hours； and that an unoffending
stranger that smelt the cork was disabled for life。 Four years afterward
the mine thus disposed of was worth in the San Francisco market seven
millions six hundred thousand dollars in gold coin。
In the early days a poverty…stricken Mexican who lived in a canyon
directly back of Virginia City； had a stream of water as large as a man's
wrist trickling from the hill…side on his premises。 The Ophir Company
segregated a hundred feet of their mine and traded it to him for the
stream of water。 The hundred feet proved to be the richest part of the
entire mine； four years after the swap； its market value （including its
mill） was 1；500；000。
An individual who owned twenty feet in the Ophir mine before its great
riches were revealed to men； traded it for a horse； and a very sorry
looking brute he was； too。 A year or so afterward； when Ophir stock went
up to 3；000 a foot； this man； who had not a cent； used to say he was the
most startling example of magnificence and misery the world had ever
seenbecause he was able to ride a sixty…thousand…dollar horseyet
could not scrape up cash enough to buy a saddle； and was obliged to
borrow one or ride bareback。 He said if fortune were to give him another
sixty…thousand…dollar horse it would ruin him。
A youth of nineteen； who was a telegraph operator in Virginia on a salary
of a hundred dollars a month； and who； when he could not make out German
names in the list of San Francisco steamer arrivals； used to ingeniously
select and supply substitutes for them out of an old Berlin city
directory； made himself rich by watching the mining telegrams that passed
through his hands and buying and selling stocks accordingly； through a
friend in San Francisco。 Once when a private dispatch was sent from
Virginia announcing a rich strike in a prominent mine and advising that
the matter be kept secret till a large amount of the stock could be
secured； he bought forty 〃feet〃 of the stock at twenty dollars a foot；
and afterward sold half of it at eight hundred dollars a foot and the
rest at double that figure。 Within three months he was worth 150；000；
and had resigned his telegraphic position。
Another telegraph operator who had been discharged by the company for
divulging the secrets of the office； agreed with a moneyed man in San
Francisco to furnish him the result of a great Virginia mining lawsuit
within an hour after its private reception by the parties to it in San
Francisco。 For this he was to have a large percentage of the profits on
purchases and sales made on it by his fellow…conspirator。 So he went；
disguised as a teamster； to a little wayside telegraph office in the
mountains； got acquainted with the operator； and sat in the office day
after day； smoking his pipe； complaining that his team was fagged out and
unable to traveland meantime listening to the dispatches as they passed
clicking through the machine from Virginia。 Finally the private dispatch
announcing the result of the lawsuit sped over the wires； and as soon as
he heard it he telegraphed his friend in San Francisco：
〃Am tired waiting。 Shall sell the team and go home。〃
It was the signal agreed upon。 The word 〃waiting〃 left out； would have
signified that the suit had gone the other way。
The mock teamster's friend picked up a deal of the mining stock； at low
figures； before the news became public； and a fortune was the result。
For a long time after one of the great Virginia mines had been
incorporated； about fifty feet of the original location were still in the
hands of a man who had never signed the incorporation papers。 The stock
became very valuable； and every effort was made to find this man； but he
had disappeared。 Once it was heard that he was in New York； and one or
two speculators went east but failed to find him。 Once the news came
that he was in the Bermudas； and straightway a speculator or two hurried
east and sailed for Bermudabut he was not there。 Finally he was heard
of in Mexico； and a friend of his； a bar…keeper on a salary； scraped
together a little money and sought him out； bought his 〃feet〃 for a
hundred dollars； returned and sold the property for 75；000。
But why go on？ The traditions of Silverland are filled with instances
like these； and I would never get through enumerating them were I to
attempt do it。 I only desired to give； the reader an idea of a
peculiarity of the 〃flush times〃 which I could not present so strikingly
in any other way； and which some mention of was necessary to a realizing
comprehension of the time and the country。
I was personally acquainted with the majority of the nabobs I have
referred to； and so； for old acquaintance sake； I have shifted their
occupations and experiences around in such a way as to keep the Pacific
public from recognizing these once notorious men。 No longer notorious；
for the majority of the