caeay onan ensiaieiitlnnsisniinaten nabs in from the south. 162 CROFUTY’S NEW OVERLAND TOURIST Tens of thousands of cattle are now roam- ing along the Humboldt and adjoining valleys, and surrounding hills. It is com- puted that there are not less than 350 000 head between Promontory Mountainand the Sierra Nevada Mountains. One firm near this station has over 40,000 head, and one range fenced of 28,000 acres. A. few miles after leaving Argenta, Reese River Valley joins the Humboldt—comin It is very diversifie | in feature, being very wide at some points | —from seven to ten miles—and then dwin- i HA lace cn inceelatineiasasiniuniiens dling down to narrow strips of meadow or barren sand. Some portions of the valley are susceptible of cultivation, and possess an excellent soil. Other portions are bar- ren sand and gravel wastes, on which only the sage-brush flourishes. This valley is also known by old emigrants as “ Whirl- wind Valley.” and passengers will fre- quently see columns of dust ascending skywards. Reese River, which flows through this valley, rises to the south, 180 to miles distant. It has many tribu- taries, which find their source in the moun- tain ranges that extend on either side of the river its entire length. It sinks in the valley about 20 or 30 miles before reach- ing the Humboldt. During the winter and spring floods, the waters reach the Humboldt, but only in very wet times. Near where Reese River sinks in the valley was fought the celebrated battle be- tween the Whites and Indians—settlers and emigrants, 20 years ago—which gave the general name of Battle Mountain to these ranges. A party of marauding Shoshone Indians had stolen alot of stock from the emigrants and settlers, who banded them- selves together and gavechase. They over- took them at this point, and the fight com- menced. From point to point, from rock to rock, down tothe water’s edge they drove the red skins, who, finding themselves sur- rounded, fought with the stubbornness of despair. When night closed in, the set- tlers found themselves in possession of their stock and a hard-fought field. How many Indians emigrated to the Happy Hunting Grounds of the spirits no one knew, but from this time forward the power of the tribe was broken. From Argenta, itis 11.8 miles to Battle Mountain—This is a din- ner station for passenger trains from both the East and West, where trains stop 30 minutes. The waiters are Chinese, and very lively while serving a good meal. Water for the little fountain in front of the Battle Mountain House, the railroad, and the town, is conducted in pipes from a big spring in the side of the mountain, three miles to the south. There are several stores, hotels, restau- rants and saloons, on the south side of the depot; also some large freight buildings, as this is the distributing point for a great number of mining districts, towns, and camps to the southward. The surrounding country is alive with herds of cattle, particularly on the north side of the river,and this station has be- come quite a point for cattle buyers, from California, to stop at and make their selec- tions. A stage leaves Battle Mountain daily, for Battle Mountain mines, seven miles, Galena, twelve miles, Austin, 90 miles, where connections are made for Eureka, Hamilton, Cortez, Belmont—171 miles—and allintermediate towns. Stages also run to Lewis District, 14 miles, and to Tuscarora, 68 miles, connecting for Rock Creek, twelve miles further, and Cornu- copia, 20 miles. Lewis is a new mining district, 14 miles south, where some rich silver mines have been discovered within the last two years. Fast freight lines leave Battle Mountain daily for most of the cities, towns and dis- tricts above named. The tonnage from Battle Mountain Station averages about 500 per month. The Messenger is a weekly paper published here. Battle Mountain, Galena, and Copper Canyon mining camps are in the moun- tains just south of this station, and further to the south are the mining districts of Reese River, Washington, Kinsley, Cortez, Diamond, Dun Glen, Humboktt, Grass Valley, and several others. In all of these districts rich mines are being worked; stamp mills and smelting furnaces are nu- merous. Since the building of the rail- road, low freights have resulted in the in- troduction of more and better machinery, the reduction in cost of milling ores, and the opening and working of veins of lower grade ores, which could not be profitably worked when wagon freight prices ruled. Battle Mountain Station is in Lander county, the county seat of which is Aus- tin, 90 miles south. Avustin—is situated near the summit of the Toiyabe Range, on the ground where the first silver ore was discovered in this district, in May, 1862. The discoverer, W. ae nipped sncacaani sistas aii Nee eie ELSI ss a ih ictal