very quiet manner; for neither of us desired, any more than we could help, to be made the subjects of the gossip of a mining town.
Shortly after my marriage I made a flying trip to New Orleans, for the purpose of seeing my brother, and some of my relatives. Immediately a rumor was started that I had run away; and when I returned I found that all kinds of stories had been set afloat about me. My re-appearance, however, set them all at rest; and, as my husband and myself zealously-attended to our own business, and let that of other people alone, we were permitted to dwell together in peace.
When I got back from New Orleans, we purchased a snug little stone house, and I devoted myself to advancing my husband's interests as much as possible, and to making our home comfortable and attractive.
My husband, for a time, prospered in his mining operations; and, although there were some envious people who spoke ill of him and of me, we succeeded in gaming the esteem of such of our neighbors as were worth knowing, and did not disturb ourselves about what might be said of us by those who were disposed to speak evil.
The city of Austin, which is near the centre of Nevada, at this time (1868) contained from fifteen hundred to two thousand inhabitants, most of whom were in some way connected with the mines. There were about a dozen stores, one hotel, four or five lodging-houses, half a dozen restaurants, more drinking-saloons than I ever undertook to count, Catholic and Methodist churches, a Masonic hall, and five quartz crushing-mills, only one, however, of which was in operation.
Mining Speculations and Swindles.
There was any amount of speculation in mines and mining stocks, and any amount of the worst kind of swindling going on all the time. Some of the mines were good ones; but others were mere pretences, and were worth nothing at all. Many of these bogus mines were sold to eastern capitalists by experts, who made a specialty of working frauds of this description.
It was while residing in Austin that I first heard the expression "salting" applied to mines, and learned what it meant. Salting, however, was only one of a number of frauds that were practised every day.
