May 1928

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR HUBERT WORK, SECRETARY NATIONAL PARK SERVICE ST'EPHFN T. MATHER. DIRECTOR YOSEMITE NATURE NOTES VOL. VII MAY,

1928

NO.5 "LEARN TO READ THE TRAIL-SIDE"

Yosemite NAl IONA1. PAKk, CAI-1f ya8

This is the official publication of the EW.cat on..1 Department of Yosemite National Park. It is pub isheJ each month by the National Park Service with the cooperation of the Yosemite Natural History Association, and its purpose is to s upply dependable information on the natural history and scientific features of Yosemite National Park. ! The articles pubished herein are not copyrighted as it is Intended that they shall be freely used by the press. Communications should be addressed to C. P. Russell, Park Naturalist, Yo semite National Park, California.

P. P. LEAVITT

Acting Superintendent

YOSEMITE NATURE NOTES THE PUBLICATION OF THE YOSEMITE EDUCATIONAL DEPARTMENT AND THE YOSEMITE NATURAL HISTORY ASSOCIATION

Published monthly Volume VII May, 1928 Number

REMINISCENCES OF THE BODIE STRIKE

By J. F. Parr 565 Boulevard Way, Oakland, LEditor's Note : Considerable California. general interest is manifested Mr. C. P. Russell, Park Natin the romantic history of the uralist, Yosemite National Mono country, and, in keeping Park, California. with our plans to make deDear Mr. Russell: I am tails available, we publish this sending you a few facts of the unvarnished account of events early days revival of the minwhich led up to the Bodie mg camp of Bodie, as I reboom. Mr. Parr writes of permember them. I find that it sonal experiences, and we exis quite a "chore" to turd press our sincere thanks to back for 40 years, and hard l o him for permitting us to reremember dates and names. cord these bits of history I first saw Bodie in 1875, on a which have been unattainable sage hen hunt. The hills were in California literature. full of sage cock and mounC. P. R.] tain quail, and Bodie and Rough creeks were full of trout. I went in with Warren Rose in 1876 and remained for many years and am probably. the only living person left of that crew. You can use article in any way you like, and hope that you will be able to pick out of it some facts you can use. If I should come into the valley this summer, I shall certainly be glad to meet and have a talk with you. Yours truly, T T

D AT2A

The revival of the old mining camp Bodie, started in the fall of 1875, when Pete Eshington and his partner came into Aurora, Nevada, with considerable gold bullion they had cleaned up from their arrastras on Rough creek. Eshington and Lockberg had been working on the Bunker Hill and Bullion claims in Bodie for a couple of years. They built three arrastras ' on Rough creek, 6% miles northeast of Bodie, that were run by water power. They would crush four or five tons of rock per day. Bull teams hauled the rock over the hill

from the mine to the arrastras. water piped from the springs to They were about making expenses the mill. All these improvements when in an accidental way a strike were made in 1864 and 1865 when of rich ore was made. The hangthe nearest railroad was Sacraing wall caved, exposing rich ore. mento and freight about ten cents What they had supposed to be the a pound. The engine and boiler hanging wall, was in fact, a small was said to have come around Cape "horse" in the vein, and the cave Horn. The rock had to be hauled exposed the full width of the vein down from mine to mill by bull and rich ore. They had run some teams. of this rock through their arrasIn June, 1876, Rose took a crew tras and cleaned them up and of men from Aurora to Bodie to rebrought the bullion into Aurora to construct the mill and start work ship to the Carson City mint. They in the mine. They were H. Marden, were jubilant over the amount of W. Ball, J. F. Parr, Tom Parr, C. bullion produced, and when the reF. Quinby, H. Walker, H. Steblen turns for the bullion came from and others, with Uncle Bill O'Hara Carson City they had a celebration. (colored) and his cook crew. They There was no excitement. A minput in 10 new 7-foot amalgamating ing man, Warren Rose, who had pans, with rims two feet high that been running the Gumata mine, in ran eighteen revolutions per minute Aurora, for the Bank of California, and 5 settlers. They used the old and which had shut down, became 16 stamp battery. It was a "Pan interested and went to Bodie to see Mill" to catch fine gold. Nut pine the new strike. Judge McClinton, wood was hauled (by Bowman from F. K. Bechtel and Horace Marden Bishop) with bull teams, from a also saw it. (Marden was the company wood ranch. The Syndigrandfather of Horace Marden cate mill started about the 15th of Albright, Assistant Director of NaSeptember, 1876. They expected to tional Parks). Rose quietly invesmake a much better recovery of tigated the Bodie district and the the fine gold by this pan process. properties there. The mill ran about six weeks, then Improvements Made shut down. H. Walker, foreman in Under Difficulties the mine. accidently was killed, and In the spring of 1876, Rose with Rose paid off the entire mine H. M. Yerington of Carson City crew and discontinued work. and others, formed the Syndicate The Beginning of Milling and Mining Company. They the Syndicate Mill had bought the old Osceola mine I will now go back to Eshington and mill (for taxes, less than $300). and Lockbergat their Bunker Hill The property consisted of three and Bullion claims. There was a patented claims—the Osceola, Tioga very heavy snow fall in Bodie and Isabella, and a fine brick 16 county ' in the winter of '75 and the stamp mill. The mine was opened roads were blocked until about the by tunnels. Considerable work had first of June, 1876. Eshington and been done and rock crushed by the Lockberg started their arrastras former company. There were early in June. The grade of their buildings for a crew of men, boardrock continued good but they made ing house blacksmith shops and no effort to increase the output

j' from the mine. They were workdard Mine." Irwin made arrange ing about eight men, and were satments with Rose to mill 1000 tor isfied to let the equipment and of ore from the Standard mine mine "go as she lay." They were the Syndicate mill. The mill star} making good money and all they ed on Standard ore in November wanted. It was common gossip 1876. Horace Marden hauled th that Eshington was afraid to push rock from the mine with hors work on their claims as he was teams. afraid the ore was only a bunch The Election of and was very liable to pinch out Hayes and Tilden or peter out in value. For that. Presidential election (Hayes an reason they worked slowly, taking Tilden) took place that fall and th out only a small amount of rock, polling place was Syndicate mid just what they could work easily probably the only time they wen in their arrastras. They we•e ever held there. About twenty-on. ready to sell to anyone who wished votes were cast in the Bodie pr to buy and rush work on the Proscinct held in the Syndicate board pect. ing house. The 1000-ton mill rut. Along in the summer, 1876, was cleaned up and bullion sera_ George Storey came into camp, and down to the express office in Auroafter a few days he left with a bond ra under a guard of four men, an,. in his pocket of the Bunker Hill the Syndicate mill shut down for and Bullion claims, that was Eshthe winter. A few miners—six me': ington and Lockberg's property. —remained at the Syndicate to Eshington continued to work for a drive a tunnel from the mill to tho short time until the mine had been top of the mine 700 feet below tin sold to Seth and Dan Cook (brothoutcrop on Bodie Bluff. The nail. ers) and Col. J. F. Boyd of San run on Standard rock was satisFrancisco, Calif. The price was factory, much better than expected, cash to Eshington and Lockberg, and Irwin continued work develop- $65,000, and Storey received $10,000 ing the mine all winter. commission from Boyd. William In March, 1877, men were started Irwin came in with a crew of men at the Syndicate, to tear out the and took charge about August, old 16 stamps and put in a new 1876. With him were Joe Maguire, battery of 20 stamps. The work his foreman; Mooney, W. A. Irwin, was completed about May, 1877, and his son, and others. the mill started milling Standard When the arrastras were cleared ore, with a capacity of 1200 or 1250 up at Rough Creek, they turned tons per month and producing out more gold than had been ex about $45,000 in gold bullion, value pected. Irwin began active operaabout $10 per ounce. The Syndicate lion on the property, a donkey mill continued to run for two years hoist was erected on the small inon Standard ore, $14 per ton millcline shaft that Eshington had ing and hauling. used, and a crew of men put to Beginning the Townnof Bodie work in the mine. Buildings were The Standard Company built a erected; boarding house, bunk 20-stamp mill about a mile up the house and office. The new corncreek, on the hillside and facing puny nnmcd their property ' Stunthe flat, on which the town of

Bodie was beginning to build. John a small amount of real money, and Welch put in a stock of goods were very pleased with themselves. moved from Bridgeport (county Boyd incorporated the Bodie Cornseat 20 miles northwest). His store pany for 100,000 shares and listed was the first one in camp and in a it on the San Francisco stock little back room Ned Marston was board early in 1878. killed by a deputy sheriff named There were two 20-stamp mills Davis. It roused a very bad feelrunning on Standard ore, and shiping and Davis fled to Bridgeport ping from $90,000 to $100,000 per and from there left the country. month. Bodie was growing every Silas B. Smith, a merchant of day and many mining men were Aurora, moved a stock of goods giving Bodie the "once over." The from Aurora that grew to a big sporting element were coming store in a few months. Restaustrong, while many ambitious young rants, lodging houses, hotels, sae men came to live there. hoping to loons were doing a thriving busimake a lucky strike somehow. ness. A postoffice was located in Operating On High Grade Ore Smith's store, as was an express Early in May, 1878, there were office, with Major Attee in charge rumors of a 'strike" in the Bodie and Eph Mills as assistant. mine. The stock on the San FranBy the time the winter snows cisco board moved a little and got began to fall in 1877 there were up to $4.70 per share, then fell back more people in Bodie than could to $1.70 and recovered to $3.50 to $4 be taken care of. The elevation, about the first of July, 1878. After 8210 feet on the main street, and the Fourth of July, Steve Moore, the cold weather, often 20 below then superintendent of the Bodie, zero, with no house room or ademade arrangements to switch the quate sleeping quarters, started an Syndicate mill from the Standard outbreak of pneumonia that raged Company and make a run of 1000 all winter and many young and tons of ore from the Bodie mine. strong men died as well as the oldThe first load of rock, hauled by el ones. It was a tough winter in H. Marden's crack black team of Bodie but the people still flocked six horses, pulled onto the scales into camp. In the spring of 1878, on June 10, 1878, with over 19,000 Bodie was a booming mining camp. pounds of rock that showed gold in The hills were full of new prosevery piece. Two guards came pecting and many new hoists were down with the load. One went back built and shafts started on the hill with the team, the other remained However, no new discoveries of on the mill dump with the rock. At real value had been made outside night there were two guards at the the Standard Company's ground. mill, one guard traveled with the In the summer of 1876, C. F. team. On July 12 the mill started Loose and Jack Fause had located en Bodie ore. The stock sold as the ground adjoining the southwest high as $12 per share on the San boundary line.of the Bunker Hill Francisco board that day. Johnny claim. They called it the "Bodie," Parr, foreman of the Syndicate and did some work on it, but they mill, went down to Aurora that did not find any values. They sold night and George Daly asked him the location to Col. J. F. Boyd for how Bodie closed on the San Fran-

cisco market. Parr told him $12. paid cash dividends, a Daly remarked that he had 50 dividend and $4 extra d shares he would like to sell for $12. Bodie mill run of 1000 "Sold," said Parr, and taking Daly that averaged about $i over to Wells Fargo, G. Novacovich sent a thrill through paid Daly $600 for the 50 shares. world. It was like a bl Daly was so pleased that he bought Many people would in a basket of two dozen bottles of was true. It was rumo wine and there followed a nice litcompany was shipping tie party, of which we know nothout through Carson a ing in these days of prohibition. them back through Son The rock was a sugary quartz to make a mining deal with black spots on yellowish white The Bodie Company 1 and brown base. (I guess that's as mill about one mile bel clear as mud). dicate mill, a short tir. The mill ran 20 stamps about 16 Syndicate mill run on 1 hours every day; the rock was soft. The Town Runs Wild The pulp from the stamps was disThe town of Bodie rs charged into square tanks, from the big Bodie mine At where it was charged into the everything any mining amalgamating pans for treatment. had—and more. It se, The quicksilver had to run through a bad name on the the "strainer" after every charge, writers tell all about t for it was very rich. The mill ran of Bodie, but the hu for 31 days and produced $601,000, thousands of good me] roughly, or as Colonel Johnnie Boyd worked and made the said, "it lacked $19,000 of making knew there were any an average of $20,000 per day for Bodie. The workers, 1 the entire run." The bullion was energy of the mass, ne worth about $9 per ounce. The bad man a thought. T stock touched $57.25. When the mill too busy. If a "chi shut down the stock backed down. killed another "check The Formation of question might be F the Mono Company didn't he kill the flo, The Bodie Company split the Bowas no limit, and the : die ground into two equal parts. son was open the whole Retaining the "north half" that "bad men" and their joined the Standard, as the Bodie, ate marriage wives" lit and with the "south half" they tion of the town that formed a new company and called and no attention was 1 It the "Mono." One hundred thoumany were killed. A sand shares were authorized and lulling of some "claim the Bodie shareholders received ways attracted consid] one share of Mono for each share tion, but there were i of Bodie. Mono stock went on the the "claim jumping" fi San Francisco mining board at $12 suited in a killing. It per share, and that was top price any man who was hunt for Mono. The Bodie Company also ble could find it very

die. The man who went on the ing did not last long, and for many outside away from Bodie and loudYears no town could boast of a betty proclaimed himself "the bad man ter class of people than lived in from Bodie," was a miserable "fourBodie. They scattered over the flusher" and would not have lived earth as one by one the mines shut over night in Bodie. It was dandown. In every state in the Union gerous to run a bluff on a gun play there is some old-timer who has a in Bodie. The open season for killwarm spot in his heart for "Old Bodie."

A TICK-INFESTED DEER

By George M. Wright The mule deer of the Sierras are elusive of the ticks. prey to many insect pests, not least The Western dog tick is the comamong them the Western dog tick. nronest variety on the Pacific Coast. In fact, this species could be more Dogs, sheep, cattle, horses, deer appropriately named deer tick. and ground squirrels are subject to Whether or not these pests cause infestation, and man is freequently much physical suffering and actualenough the unwilling host. But ly inflict considerable injury, is at deer are the greatest sufferers, present an open question. ticks abounding as they do on In January of the present year a ceanothus and others of their chapyoung buck was found dead near arral food plants. The female ticks the foot of the Coulterville road. The are reddish brown with white markbody was literally infested with ings. Their oval bodies average ticks, hundreds of them along the around 10-12 millimeters in length neck and the insides of the flanks. when gorged. There were solid rows of the gorged Though the buck looked as females and the body swarmed with though it might actually have died the younger undeveloped individof ticks, the theory is hardly tenuals. able, according to most biologists There was no evidence that this Nevertheless, it is true that unspike horn had met death by accihealthy individuals being unable to dent, nor did it appear to have been rid themselves of these tenacious affected by any disease. Except for ectoparasites, are heavily parasita slight deficiency in weight, the ized and may thus suffer an accenbody appeared to be that of a reatuation of their already weakened sonably healthy animal—that is, excondition.

UNIVERSITY FIELD WORKERS IN YOSEMITE

Professor E. O. Essig and his summer field class in entomology are making the YeSemite Museum their headquarters during a six weeks ' period. The class is composed of five men from the College of Agriculture, University of California. Six units of credit are awarded for the completion of the work. Incidentally the Museum profits from the enlargement and revision of its insect collections.

YOSEMITE NATURE NOTE RECENT MUSEUM ACCESSIONS

By C P. Russell J. M. Pedrini presented literature L. L. McCoy gave a copy of "Hispertaining to the tourist camp that tory of the Lassen Volcano" by B once existed near the foot of the F. Loomis, and six portraits of Four-Mile Trail, "Camp Ahwahnee." Galen Clark. This camp came into being in 1908. F. S. Moody presented a copy of Twelve books, including files of the 1850 San Francisco directory. Yosemite Nature Notes, were bound "Bonanza, a Story of the Gold at the expense of the Yosemite Trail" by Raine, was received from Natural History Association. Christian B. Zabriskie. The California Department of "Mountain Magazine," the publi Natural Resources has supplied a Clubs of the America, Outdoor number of its publications which inClubs exchange for lor a

"YOSEMITE

em bt ite Nature received N will be of use to staff members. Notes." Fred DeWitt gave copies of the "How Animals Talk," by W. J. Mariposa Gazette for February 8, Long; "Bird Homes," by A. R. Dug1879, and November 27, 1886. Both more; "California History," by Ger. papers contain items of Yosemite trude Atherton, and "Natural historical significance. Wealth of California," by T. F. CroSeventy-three lantern slides were nise, /ere obtained through ex. prepared from museum negatives change of surplus Veterans' Bureau at a cost of $54.20. This expense books possessed by the Yosemite was met by the Yosemite Natural Museum. History Association. Richard Shafer lent two large Gov. R. K. Colcord, pioneer of early photographs of Yosemite the Mono country, has supplied inscenes. valuable data on Mono country hisThe following books were purtory. This material is in the form chased by the Yosmeite Natural of an unpublished manuscript. History Association: "Lighting and Heating Utensils "My Circular Notes," by J. F In the United States National MuCampbell, 1876. aeum" and "The Canadian Lake "The Beaver," by E. R. Warren, Region" by W. W. Campbell, were 1927. presented by Mrs. David White. "Animal Life of the Carlsbad CavRoosevelt's "The Deer Family ern," by Vernon Bailey, 1927. was purchased by the Yosemite "Preparation of Scientific PaNatural History Association. pers," by Trelease and Yule, 1927. J. F. Parr, pioneer of Bodie durThe United States National Mu Ing its boom days, has written perseum gave the following hooks by aonal reminiscences of his experiArthur Cleveland Bent: onces in the mountains east of Yo- "Life Histories of North Anieri Semite. He nas m so supplied two can Wild Fowl. Order Anseres' photos of the Syndicate Mill, the Bulletin No. 130 first mill to run on the rich rock "Life Histories of North Ameri from the Standard and Bodie can Petrels, Peljcans, and their al Mines. Iles. Order Tuhinares and circle] jO

Steganopodes," Bulletin No. 212. than and Coffman's Yosemite barns "Life Histories of North AmeriPortrait William B. Ritter, sci. can Marsh Birds. Orders Odon to entist glossae, Herdiones, and PaludicoPortrait William Bradford, artist lae," Bulletin No. 135. "The Ship," publication ol 187u "Life Histories of North AmeriSix numbers containing Yosemite can Shore Birds. Order Timicolae items (part 1)," Bulletin No. 142. Black's Hotel business card. E. B. Hooker very generously The California division of Mines gave $200 with which to complete and mining has supplied a numb e r unfinished exhibits and purchase of bulletins and maps •ar ',se iu needed reference works. Yosemite Educational Department The Yosemite Natural History Recent publications in the form Association has purchased the fol. of reprints, from the Museum ol lowing supplies for museum use : Vertebrate Zoology, Un i versity. of One gross 8x10-inch photographic California. were received frum that enlarging paper. institution and filed for use of staff One thousand 5x7-inch negative members. filing envelopes. The Yosemite Natural History As Mr•s. Alma J. Brown, for some sociation has purchased the follow years a generous friend to the Yoing books and publications for th semite Museum, recently died in Yosemite Museum: Burlington, Kan., and bequeathed The Journal of Mammalogy, vols the remainder of her Indian collet1, 5, 6, and 7. tion to the National Park Service Romance of Geology, E A Mills The following articles have been reWaiting in the Wilderness, E A ceived from N. I. Nesbit, executor of Mills. Mrs. Brown's estate : Watched by Wild Animals, E A One horn spoon. Mills. Two wood spoons. Stories of First American Ani Eleven pieces of Indian pottery. coals, George Langford. Three Indian baskets. Back Yard Expio.-ations, P. G Ten pieces of Indian bead work. Howes. Edward Jesurun has obtained the good of Woodcraft, E T. Seton fault map of California, published Tales you won't Believe, a Steal by the Seismological Society of ton-Porter. America, for use in connection with The Aristocratic West, K F txr• Yosemite geology exhibits. rould. A complimentary subscription to the Official Record, published by Building the Pacific Railroad, E the United States Department of L. Sabin. Agriculture, was obtained through Mammals of Coloradr,, E R L. R. Ender of that department. Warren. Stories of Stanislaus, S. P Elias H. S. Bryant of the United States Fur-Bearing Animals. E Coves National Museum assures that reThe Century Magazine, bound ports, proceedings, bulletins and vols. XVIII and XIX, 1890 and 1891 contributions from the United Two Watkins stsreoscopie views States National Herbarium, all pub of Yosemite Valley. lications of the National Museum, will be presented to the Yosemite Mrs. J. D Foley gave a belt cov Museum as published. ered with Indian bead work Mrs. Leon J. Richardson has preChief Ramer Tnw',slev presented sented the following historical the skull of "Old Hornv." remark items : able mule deer buck with a third Large framed photo of McLenaantler growing from the nasal hone.

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YOSEMITE NATURAL HISTORY ASSOCIATION

E Ml S~UM

YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK CALIFORNIA

r Friend: Here are three good reasons why you should I come a member of the Yosemite Natural History Assoation : 1. It will keep you in touch with Yosemite through "Yosemite Nature Notes". 2. It offers you opportunity to secure NATURE MAGAZINE, AMERICAN FORESTS AND FOREST LIFE, or both, at an unprecedented low price. 3. You materially aid a non-profiting Government educational activity (The Yosemite Museum and its attendant nature guide service) when you remit your membership fee. Please read a sample of "Yosemite Nature es", consider our purposes, and don't overlook the nefits of the combination offers with the American &ture Association and the American Forestry Associa-,tton. Remit by check or money order. Cordially yours, C. P. Russell Park Naturalist