The San Francisco Call. Newspaper, May 23, 1905, Page 18

e == o = = onr = Around It Center Many Important | Interests. | e BY LUCY S. DAV.S. Nevada, is m; American nd mines. reme Court- has out- e quart i erected be used as a law old library for the books and, reading-roon are something more than es in the library, 15,000 of * books ap the State Print- | same style and being well able ministers of | opalian, Pres- atholic. Each good Artesian w owing well portion of the v b had this »i & purposes represented by | Appeal WS, an evening e oldest paper | ed continuo blished about 1864, | enlarged its :lly equipped to do | ng, bookbinding ana | s make use of the | ¢ motor. s’ Home has recently | d is one of the finest = State Capitol and | eft an excavation per- | adaptability for a prison site. | amgs and walls are of stone, | rocky mountain forms two | | | sides of the inclosure. THE STEWART INSTITUTE, The Stewart Institute, more common- ealle 2 school, is about | ree & of the city, T training school was established in Car: Son through the efforts of Senator Wi m M. Stewart several years ago, Situated about two miles northeast of | son is Shaws Hot Springs, well| nown for the medicinal properties of | s water. Several years ago the orig- | inal spring was destroyed by an earth- ke A second and better one was Foon uncovered and the flow has beas | nost satisfactory ever since. The water | i= highly mineralized, making the bath | an exceltent cure for rheumatism and lar affictions. During the last year | an automobile has run between Carsen and the springs for the benefit of its patrons Agriculture forms a major portion of tries of the valiey, the town rcled with prosperous farms mall fruits, apples. e raised in abund- toes, hay and grain form the prineipal crops. The soil is very productive, insuring a good yield from whatever may be planted, wheat, oats and barley and rye being raised without irrigation A company of enterprising men haye recently red 0 acres of land to the south of the city under cuitivation as rapidly as possibie. The ground is being cleared, fenced and planted to grain. Deep welis are being bored for irrigation purposes and elec- plants will be installed. experiment, which can hardly fail uch to the State as well as en its success is an estab- and the ranch placed upon a There are thousands of n Nevada lying idle for flicient water supply, and if ed that pumping plants This applies par- ticularly 1d beyond the reach of the great Truckee irrigation canal and other natural water channe A GOOD STOCK YEAR. Western Nevada as a favored locality for stock raising was never better il heaped in_the 1) h wholesale 1 ockman has the ~indomitabl spirit which fortune strikes all up and doing nd _beginning most of them bet- ¢ than ever and they tradition that a evastating winter only strikes 2 once in forty years and the next due for some vet 2 has just passed through a 1d open winter and with the wet k upon_ the seeded down flinty, barren mantled with “the are mentioned forage-plant is of recent growth in Nevada. It made its first appearance about ten years ago . Nev its seeds h en brought across the s eitner by the high 1ds or e acks of sheep. The seeds of the Spanish fodder plant, alfilleria. more commonly called *“fil- leree,” number of little spiral- whic| - it to cling comes in eeds, down very rapidly and for past ten years, from a few ing plants, it has made its way over the State, and now the hills, 80 bare of vegetation, seem a congenial soil for this plant of tenacious growth. It does not attain the heavy growth which characterizes it in Mexico and Southern California, but it never.jeaves a place where it has once takef roo and this year appears to have besh very to it. It furnishes very fat- 11 feed for stock of all kinds do not seem to care for it green. They relish it most when it is aried and withered. Mini#g in the immediate vicinity of Carson not carried on to any very great extent. Several mines that were operated successfully in the past are closed at present, not being rich enough to compete with the wonderful digcov- eries in Southern Nevada. The glitter of those mines has blinded all men, to anything less astounding in richness nearer home. CARSON VALLEY. Carson Valley, Douglas County, is south of Carson Cily and extends thir- ty-five miles to the snow capped moun- tains that inelose the adjoining valley. The western peaks rise almost perpen- dicularly from the level cultivated land to a height of from 10,000 to 12,000 feet and are gorgeous with their shimmering covering of snow during a greater por- iion of the year. From the deep Snow. packed ravines near the summit flow innumerable streams of clear, cold water, bounding with frantic haste over steep, rocky cliffs, reach the plain, there to wend peacefully through the comfortable farms, _ bringing unbounded prosperity to all with- in reach of their _ever _ valuable waters. The Carson River forms the main channel of this natural irrigation system. It runs lengthwise through the central portion of the valley, with two large forks branching to the east and west. Thus water is avallable to nearly all of the fertile soil. This valley {s most bum' titul, with its broad expanse of level, culti~ and are placing it| d when the winter of '90 Lroke stockman_in the_section by its severity. Ninety-five per | e stock perished on the ranges ot fully realized un- ws of the spring un- | | { | | B | { | | | | | ] o+ a sparkling streams of mountain water, € anked with willows and wild shrub- nd modern homes surrounded de trees and flowers. Almost re valley is under cultivation enti its apparent prosperity is good to Broud, green fleldfi,ql way- & & on. grain in the spring, busy War$eSters summer, sleek, grazing cattle in the fall and a peaceful, well-earned rest in the winter. Such is the aspect of Douglas County, a perfect model of a well regulated agricultural district. The unrivaled prosperity of this growing community is due to individual thrift and energy, a conservative expenditure of money and labor, and the naturally favored conditions and situation of the valley. A reliable water right is the most essential thing in a country that depends upon artificial irrigation, and this section is blessed with sufficient water for every farmer. It is a well known fact that not a single farm is mortgaged; instead, every man in thc valley has money to burn. S Alfalfa is the principal crop raised. over 500,000 tons being the averagc vearly yield. Three crops are harvestec each year, leaving excellent pasturag for cattle in the fall and winter. Tht average price of alfalfa hay is from 3¢ to $10 a ton in the stack, and from $1t to $16 baled. The larger part of the hay is baled for the market; the re- malinder retained in the stack for hom. consumption. Wheat comes next in line of impor- tance. The grain is particularly large and well formed, commanding the Ligh- est market price. In previous years the demand has been greatér than the supply. To prevent a repetition of this state of affairs, a great deal of new land has been rut under cultivation this spring and planted to wheat. More wheat will be grown this year than ever in the history of the valley. The Douglas County Roller Mills, operated near Gardnerville, consume most of the w,he,rlhnown. plxing the prevailin prices. e best of flour and other mill products is made here, supplying the demand _of Douglas County, Ormsby County, ora, Bodie and other mlnlng | di the vicinity. Nearly enou; = corn the ne:gf» is grown by to ish tl requ for use.in the mill. e amount bar- le: /e, corn, potatoes, onions, beets, | ipdles, pescs, plums, peaches and small fr vegetables’are raised most su v. Potatoes and aples from | thig valley are particularly sought after in Eastern markets. hen. lklgped be- yond the Pacific Coast they bring a higher price, after deducting all trans- gomdon chm, than is ever d at ome for si roduce. rate rged for choicest California fruits, which proves 1 the superiority of fruits grown in Ne- vada over those of any other land. They are larger, firmer, better flavored and keep much longer when shi than fruits in warmer climate ‘where rain s prevalent. One de- vated acres, orchards heavy with fruit, N £ S N N [ [ & — T P ot 2 P SN ) 2o <z P D SCEN] 'APITAL CITY OF NEVADA THAT ILLUSTRATE I %THEN% CHARACTER OF PUBLIC BUILDINGS THAT T E Al SOME AND SUBSTANTIAL. cidedly in favor of irrigation over rain is that it may be regulated according to the requirements of each separate Prg_t:‘ucL IS u e cattle indu: tant. In the immedisie valley dairying prevails, while the mountain ranges are filled with cattle. During the summer months £ fine yvum cattle are fattened on these natu meadows, where the grows knee deep, and fresh running s al- ways at hand. Miles of such is owned by the emen of An average of 3 e are fed every year on the range: edi: sur- rounding Carson Valley. In e fall the choicest are driven to market and the remainder fattened on alfalfa. There are about the same numbar of sShe lr:i-ed yearly farther south in the val- evada's alfalfa-fed beef and mutton command the highest ,prices the Bastern and Western arkets, and are P i | | considered equal, if not superior, to the corn-fed meats of the States east of the Rocky Mountains. Mining has been carried on with varivus degrees of success ever since the early discovery of gold. The Pine Nut Mountains, forming the southeast- ern bourdary of the valley, are partic- ularly rich in gold. Many important mines are located here and in the past some exceptionally rich ore has been| extracted. Tne richest mineral was found in pockets, though some fine per- manent ledges have been uncovered anc are being developed at the present time. Eastern capitalists have been investi- gating these properties this spring and it is reasonably expected that active operations will begin in the near fu- B L Do BorrDiis OF LRDIAN. SCHO: « CARICArT E ‘m‘lni p ture. There are also Rl““ tfluml! being wo! number of copper proj pended operatiops until " ::g T advan: Copper_ ey was quite a livi years past, when coj working. I '“'!hjl:ltlfr 2 g, there is a co! Y. ;penfinx a mine in the Pine Nut ran ‘hey have an exceptionally la: posit of medium ore, with thousam mineral in sight. An expert mining en gineer and assayer has recently handed in such a favorable report that upon his adyice .the will b:gl‘{@ move at once. The company has ly - e silver and I of dollars’ worth “Eastern markets. $75,000 worth of property on the ground, including a mill and cyanide plant. These will start up as soon as a force of men can be secured and it i3 :ted that the output will be unu- large. The ore on the dumps represents a_ fortune, while a true fis- sure vein of considerable width pro- vides an almost unlimited deposit to be extracted as work progresses. The best from these mountains is yet to be ex- tracted, and those interested in mines | there at present are most sanguine over | the prospects. | The largest property under one man- | agement is that owned by the Dangberg | Land and Cattle Company. - At the pres- | ent time the company controls some- thing over 55,000 acres, including farm- ing lands and mountain ranges. A large portion of this land is under cultiva- tion, producing from four to five tons of alfalfa and grass hay E This spring something like 10,000 ad ditional acres have sagebrush by the drowning it out. Each year a con- siderablc amount of new land is| put under cultivation in addition to the | already large farm. The number o1 | cattle ‘on the ranges is increased pro- portionately, the average yearly output being about 4000 head . Most of these are shipped to Kentucky and other novel method of BEET SUGAR CULTURE. The soil of Carson Valley is well adapted to beet raising, and it is pro- posed to colonize a portion of the Dang- berg ranch by cutting it up into twenty acre tracts and bringing Eastern fami- lies into the country to till the soil. The| almost perpetual sunshine of the sum- mer months has a great deal to do with the sucrose in the beet, and sunshine can always be depended upon here. | It will require about $600,000 as an| initial expense to get this project under | way and this amount has already been pledged by an Eastern firm. There are other valleys in Western Nevada which have the same excellent soil and irrigation facilities guaranteed in Carson Valley. This, of course, is a new industry here, but when its success has been once demonstrated there are many thousands of acres of land in Ne- | vada especially adapted to the culture | of the sugar beet. It is understood that if this project is successfully carried out a sugar refinery will be built on the ground. ‘When Thomas Edison was in Nevada, something more than twenty-five vears ago, he was struck by the vast expanse of sagebrush, and remarked that the | Lard never put So much of any one| thing in_a place without a deflnite object. Edison believed that some one | would eventually discover some com- mercial quality in the sagebrush which would render it very valuable. | Experiments have recently been made along these lines by extracting tannig oil from sagebrush, as well as a good quality of rubber. Hon. Thomas Wren, the late author of the “History of Ne- vada,” was the first to extract tannin oil from sagebrush, and it was of unusual strength. The leather tanned by this process was of almost velvet softness. Others have been experimenting for some time with sagebrush as a rubbep. producing plant. Several pounds of rubber has been secured in this wa: which has been pronounced by Eastecl Tts to be of a superior quality With proper appliances and capitaj Tibber cannot be mandtasiiny ol and utac ing quanties et me of the most impor of Carson Valley is :hepbotx}"li.ur?‘f&';f y Creamery, in aperation since 1893 [{ was organized on the co-operative plan with forty farmers as stockholders and a capital of $15.000. It has -~ ever since. The e colve: g?lg.lrom its nu?exfi';;‘.m:a'z’m'fi; about 35,008 pounds o which 15,000 pounds of bu(l:vflnl:'a .z:ar:m The butter has an enviable repuiasins for its purity, being in .y in. Califs Rreat as well as in Nan — to foreign count. 4 keeping qualities. > °% | fully sttuated FINE FUTURE “ASSURED RENO AND VIRCINIA Reno Becomes a Strong Point - for Trade. % TS Comstock Revival Gives Virginia City Hope. Other Localitiés Are in Line Qf Progress. Reno, in addition to being the seat of the University of Nevada, is a pros- pective jobbing center for a large ter- | ritory and it possesses many elements greatn by reasomn of its Large transportation in- considered favorably a plan to give a trade territory, which can easily be accomplished by the in- stitution of what are known as graded railroad rates. Near Reno arp valua- of future surroundings. terests have ble mines that are yielding rich re- turns to their owners. Cattle raising and the livestock industry generally bring in large sums annually. Reno is situated in the fertile val- ley of the Truckee and is surrounded on all sides by majestic mountains. It is the metropolis of Nevada. Beauti- its charms are enhanced by fine buildings and grounds and through it meanders the Truckee River. The University of Newada is on an eminence in the northern part of the city. % The preent banking and commercial connections of Reno are large. The city has had a steady and rapid growth during the past few years and was, in fact, the first Nevada city to have a busimess awakening. Its educational institutions are the chief pride of the people. Social life in Reno is charm- ing. The climate of Reno has made the city to some extent. The alr is clear and bracing. The health of the resi- dents is excellent, a fact due to the existing conditions. hege are disagreeable days in theé year. rainfall is slight. The sky 1s almost always clear. The air is full of ozone and comfort and stimulus are in every breath. Pulmonary troubles are un- known. Asthma ceases in Reno air. Virginia City, Austin, Bureka, Tus- carora and other places in the State have made reputations for the mineral deposits’ found in thelr respective neighborhoods. Mines situated near them are still paying propesitions. Vir- ginla City has a history all its own. There the industries of the great boom period of the Comstock lode were fo- cused. Arrangements have been made for pumping the water from the Comstock mines and the expense will be borne jointly by a group of companies. All operations in this regard will be con- ducted jointly and in the pursuance of a fixed and well matured plan, by which economy of operation is secured. Many great discoveries may yet be made in the lower levels of the Com- stock mines. Virginia City stands ready to be bemefited by any future developments. WEDEKIND'S DISCOVERY. In a book recently published by au- thority of the Southern Pacifie Com- pany, a picturesque and truthful story is told that illustrates the wealth of minerals that have beem found near Reno. The story is as follows: “While the famous old mines at Vire ginia City, Austin, Eureka, Tuscarora and elsewhere are still being worked and still support substantial towms, there are so many new camps showing up that interest centers in them. The history of some of them is veritable romance. One within sight of Reno lies on a rounded hill which has been trodden over for forty years. An honest piano tuner named George Wedekind, who has spent the last half of his long life in Nevada, putting in every idle hour looking for gold, found metal in the dirt of the road below the present mine. He dug steadily day after day for five years and in 1900 turned up a shovelful of earth which feit different from the rest. It was assayed and showed $4535 87 in gold and silver, and the vein proved both large and rich. He ship- ped many car loads, never selling one load for less than $6500 net and finally disposed of his rights to Governor John Sparks, who has erected mills and is shipping bullion steadily.” At Wadsworth the stages go north to a fine gold camp in Olinghouse, where a dozen mines are paying divi- dends, and south, where silver, gold. soda, salt, copper and other valuable materials abound. Humboldt County is said to comtain every metal known to science. Nickel, cobait, tin, zinc, bismuth, aluminum, come into Lovelock from the east, be- sides borax, sulphur and many other products of the pick. On the road half way between the nickel mines and the railroad lies a body of magnetic iron Wwhich can be hammered out in a forge. It covers miles of mountain range and promises to become a great source. o wealth when opened up for shipmen HUMBOLDT'S DEPOSITS. At Humboldt immunse bodies of sul- phur are reached so pure that ever blast fires the mine. Three and a hal muuion pounds were shipped in Oppesite the station a noble of snow capped mountains hs bodies of ore. gr Millions bave been tak out at different places, Unionville, Sheba group and elsewhere. Battle Mountain is one of the impor tant stations for the miner. There a many flourishing camps within a rad of a dozen miles, mostly poor me camps, as they are called becaus: do not reuire large investments ‘o the ores and get ‘them to the c mills, At Palisade ores are shipped in Eureka by the train load and t mills for treatment. An extensiv ritory full of mineral is found a the roads in Dureka County, ma being bullion producers, and othe developed. Elko County, in the oy east corner of Nevada, is rich in ‘White Pine County, reached by wis roads from Wells Station on the tral Pacifie Rail .t scores = road. a3