The Introduction

      William Morris Stewart lived from 1825 to 1909. I am proud to say he was my great-

grandfather's brother, and a dynamic individual who made many significant contributions

 to the history of the United States as a United State Senator.

     As a young child Stewart lived near the newly built Erie Canal in New York.  The

 family moved to Mesopotamia, Ohio in 1831.  His precocious mind inspired him to  seek

 adventure from an early age. Stewart’s life included many successes as well as defeats.

He made and lost fortunes during his lifetime because of his addiction to investing in

 mining schemes. Historians credit Stewart with being the Father of Mining Legislation and

the person who worded the 15th Amendment to the United States Constitution. He faced

challenges in mining, law and politics with intelligent ferocity.

     The title Angles, Dips and Spurs refers to the single ledge theory of location of silver

that Stewart advocated  in the mountainous Comstock area of Nevada. formerly Utah

territory. Stewart proved the theory in court and earned thousands of dollars in

litigation fees. Stewart played the angles of every situation in his life. Mining scandals

were the dips in his experiences. Financial backers who gave up on Stewart tended to

spur him on with even riskier plans. Stewart was purportedly the model for the figure at

the top of the mountain in the painting Westward the Course of Empire Takes Its Way by

Emanuel Gottlieb Leutze; the picture hangs in the United States Capitol Building.

 Stewart served as a United States Senator from Nevada for twenty-eight years.

The following stories about William Morris Stewart illustrate the scope of his life in both

positive and negative ways. He interacted with many fascinating historical figures

such as Abraham Lincoln, Mark Twain, Ulysses S. Grant, William Ralston and William

Sharon.