Mathews was a widow who traveled overland in 1869 from Buffalo, New York, to the Comstock, where she ran a boarding house.

This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work was reproduced from the original artifact, and remains as true to the original work as possible. Therefore, you will see the original copyright references, library stamps (as most of these works have been housed in our most important libraries around the world), and other notations in the work. This work is in the public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work.As a reproduction of a historical artifact, this work may contain missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.

In this true story, Mary Matilda McNair Mathews tells the tale of going west for no other reason than to get the facts on her brother's murder. With her small son, she braves what was in 1869, a wild and lawless country. For ten years she made her way as a businesswoman and investor. Observing all that went on around her, she relates a life long since disappeared. The book is fascinating not only for Mathews' story but for the time she describes. Her concern with commerce led her to leave us a great record of prices of common every-day things, services, real estate, and investments. Matthews returned east but eventually went back to the west, settling in California to be near her son. Though she seems to have had some admiration for the Native Americans, her views on the Chinese and Jews was unfortunately typical for its time. For the first time, this long-out-of-print book is available as an affordable, well-formatted book for e-readers and smartphones. Be sure to LOOK INSIDE or download a sample.