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NV, Virginia City-Storey County-Original Sutro Tunnel Petition

Currency:USD Category:Collectibles / Western Americana Start Price:2,500.00 USD Estimated At:5,000.00 - 10,000.00 USD
NV, Virginia City-Storey County-Original Sutro Tunnel Petition
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Holabird-Kagin Americana Office
3555 Airway Drive Suite#309
Reno, NV 89511
Thursday April 11, 10am-6pm
* Preview also available by appointment

Live Auction
Friday & Saturday
April 12-13, 2012
9am PDT starting time, both days

Location
Atlantis Casino & Resort
Grand Ballroom #4
3800 S. Virginia Street
Reno, NV 89502

Lot Pick Up
Holabird-Kagin Americana Office
3555 Airway Drive Suite #309
Reno, NV 89511
Sunday April 14th, 10am-1pm

This is a petition started by Adolph Sutro in an attempt to gain federal financing for his tunnel project on the Comstock. In July, 1866, Congress passed an Act by which the U. S. Government entered into a direct compact with Sutro for the completion of the tunnel and empowered him to purchase 4375 acres of land at the mouth of the tunnel and own all mines encountered within 2000 feet on each side. He next went to New York and was told there that if he could raise a few thousand on the Pacific Coast they would get $3,000,000 for him in the east. Returning to California he submitted the matter to the mining companies and raised subscriptions amounting to $600,000. Many private contributions were placed at his disposal and he seemed in a fair way to raise a million when suddenly the Bank of California stepped in and opened a most determined fight to break up the enterprise and induce the Mining Companies to repudiate their contracts. Hon. William Stewart was then Senator from Nevada and he was petitioned to fight it in the U. S. Senate. The names signed to the petition to Stewart were William Sharon, Charles Bonner, B. F. Sherwood, John B. Winters, John P. Jones, J. W. Mackay, Thomas G. Taylor, F. A. Tritle, and Isaac L. Requa. Alpheus Bull, of the Savage Mining Company, alone stood for the tunnel and for Sutro and recommended it over his signature. The mining men of the Ledge attempted to prove that Sutro had not kept his agreements and they carried the fight into Congress. He met them there and worsted them in every encounter.

This document contains over 1500 signatures from all over the states of Nevada and California. All are very sharp, most legible. Some of the sheets of the petition are adhered together, and the whole petition is about 50-75 feet long. This is a museum quality piece that is proof of the perseverance shown by one man. Although Sutro eventually sold off the project and relocated to San Francisco, where he served a term as Mayor, he is remembered as one of the Comstock’s major players, along with Sharon and Mackay. HKA#62568