Dan De Quille’s employment at the Territorial Enterprise in Virginia City for 31 years during the later half of the 19th century made him the most prolific journalist in that newspaper’s history. Known as the Washoe giant, De Quille was by far and away the best at penning “quaints” – short fictitious stories – that were published in many periodicals. His book The Big Bonanza is considered the definitive history about Virginia City and the Comstock Lode.