History below the surface in Virginia City

Cemeteries are more than just a spooky Hallo-ween destination; they are a link to our past. And in the case of Virginia City, Nev., a tumble into history.In all, Virginia City has the remnants of 15 cemeteries. Most are separated by faith, trade or nationality - Catholic, Chinese, Masonic, Irish, Hebrew, volunteer firemen. The most notorious of these is about a mile away on a hillside and holds only one grave.Julia Bullette, one of the most famous madams in the world in the 1850s and '60s, was a brothel and saloon owner but also a charitable supporter of worthy causes. When she was murdered in her prime in 1868 by a thief, the ladies of the town would not allow her to be buried on consecrated ground. Instead, Bullette was buried on a hill overlooking the city, and her funeral, it is said, was attended by nearly every man in town, a few of the ladies and even politicians from around the world. But Bullette isn't the only one to make a name for herself in Virginia City. Samuel Clemens (aka Mark Twain) got his start (and his pen name) at the Territorial Enterprise, the town newspaper, where creative journalism got him into some trouble with the townsfolk. Both Clemens and Bullette are honored with museums in Virginia City - the former with the Bullette Red Light Museum and the later with the Mark Twain Museum at the Territorial Enterprise.Other museums and historic buildings include the Mackay Mansion (which did not seem all that impressive to me, but was built by George Hearst), The Way It Was (mining) Museum, Phonograph Museum, St. Mary's Catholic Church, Piper's Opera House and the Fourth Ward School and Museum.A ride on the Virginia and Truckee Railroad is not to be missed during a visit to Virginia City. A bargain at $5 for adults and $3 for kids 12 and under, the 35-minute narrated ride follows the tracks from Virginia City to Gold Hill and back. On the way, many of the area's mines are pointed out and some gorgeous scenery is passed. The train runs May through October.A nice accompaniment to the train ride is the trolley ride. The narrated trip concentrates on the origins and tales behind the city itself. In summer, the open-air cart is pulled by tractor and in winter the tour is enclosed. Narrators give local flavor and point out some of the places to be sure to take in.Although there is some overlap in content between the trolley and railroad tours, the trolley concentrates mostly on the town itself, while the train focuses on the mine sites. Both are well worth the price (under $5) and a nice respite from walking around town.Since gold and silver mining are what put this little city on the map, there are a couple of mine tours available as well.The Ponderosa Mine Tour is a short walking tour, which starts in the back of the Ponderosa Saloon in downtown Virginia City. Small groups of visitors are led down the low tunnels by a guide who points out the workings and equipment in the Best and Belcher mines.The Chollar Mine Tour is located closer to the train depot. This 30-minute guided walking tour sounds very similar to the Ponderosa tour, but as the Ponderosa tour is included in some combination tickets it might be preferred for those spending the day.Admission to most attractions is under $5, but several combination tickets can be purchased at the visitors' center, which could save travelers on the adult fare. Since young children either get in free or with significant discounts, it is ill-advised to buy one of these packages for children under 12.Although now a city with a population of fewer than 2,000, at its peak more than 25,000 made their homes here and many made dreams of riches come true. My favorite tale of Virginia City is how silver was discovered. Miners complained about the blue-gray muck that hindered mining of the gold and in an effort to get rid of it, even paved the roads with it. One miner decided to take the "muck" in and have it analyzed. As it turned out, Comstock miners were tossing away silver, valued at $2,000 a ton (in 1859 dollars).In addition to the historic sites and museums, Virginia City hosts a number of antique, gift and specialty shops and more than its share of saloons and gambling halls. All in all enough to keep any visitor busy for at least a day.For more information about Virginia City, visit www.virginiacity-nv.org.- Susan Jameson can be reached at susanj@goldcountrymedia.com.