Letter from Cornucopia. (January 29, 1876)
Letter 18
LETTER FROM CORNUCOPIA.
A Reply to the Postman—Facts About the Routes—Things About Town.
Cornucopia, Nev., Jan. 24th.
Editor Silver State: I again resume my pen to discourse with you and your many readers about this place and its surroundings.
In the first place we must remember that THIS PLACE IS IN ELKO COUNTY and that there is a town in the county which is called Elko, and that in that town resides a “Postman” who claims some title to journalism, and that he publishes a paper at that place—and assumes to dictate to the whole of “God’s moral heritage” in this vicinity, if not all over the world. Your correspondent at this place, with many other citizens here, have thought best to advocate the Winnemucca route as a means of ingress and egress. Such a course on my part and many others here meets with dire denunciation at the bauds of the “Post-man,” and he engages in a scurrilous attack upon me, as you will see by his issue of January 15th, 1876. In that article he says some pretty things, which I appreciate, coming as they do from such a source. As far as patronizing barrooms or saloons is concerned, those that live in glass houses should not throw the first stone, for it is a notorious fact that while the Post-man was here on his late trip all spirits, and especially Old Rye, had to suffer. In proof of which see article referred to as “the fast gliding sleighs.” I suppose he did glide, being helped by those spirits which he got at Cornucopia. Judge Bassett’s stove is comfortable, and I visit it when in the office on business.
FACTS ABOUT THE ROADS. The Post-man says they make the trip with the express and mail in fifteen hours. This is not saying anything about freight teams. The truth is that the express and mail leave Elko in the morning and, Providence permitting, they arrive here the next day—some time long way after night—and perhaps not until the morning of the third day. Here is where the Post-man’s fifteen hours come in. He also states in that article that one team from Winnemucca has been on the road twenty-one days. True, that was Dutch Henry’s, the animals being sick, but at the same time he did not tell you that one team that started at the time Henry’s did came through heavily loaded in seven days. And, further, he did not tell you that Hogle has loads of lumber stuck on the Elko road which was shipped from Elko last November. Let the whole truth be spoken, and you and your readers will find that we do not want to “Steele” or otherwise take anything from Elko that legitimately belongs to her. But that Post-man thinks he is a power in the land. He will do and undo Boards of County Commissioners—no telling what he will do.
“He feels, he feels
Like a giant in strength,
A Brobdingnag in length,
A little tin jasus on wheels.”
Such is the character of his journalism.
THINGS IN GENERAL. The quartz teams are still running and the mill supplied, and the prospect now is that there will be no shut-down of the mill. Dutch Henry started in hauling quartz this morning. When he was coming in with his load from Winnemucca he met with quite an accident, broke one of the wheels to his wagon, and when it was out on the road someone clandestinely took therefrom some $100 worth of goods. The thief has not been found yet.
All our merchants are doing well, or appear to be doing so. There are some parties here who talk of stocking the Winnemucca road early in the spring. There is no great raise in the price of provisions or cost of living yet. I think we have got over the worst of it. The mines will not “peter.”
The canvass was cut and about $100 worth of goods stolen.
Johnny Barrett can’t sell wood at $30 per cord, and Ringgold is doing a land office business at his stable. I will write you more in my next.—S. M. H.
Originally published in the Silver State on January 29, 1876. (link)