French-Canadian Remi Nadeau (1821-1887) was Southern California's leading freight hauler 1869-1882, accounting for 1/4 of Los Angeles' exports. He invented the 20-mule team to haul silver bullion from mines in the Mojave Desert. Later, he hauled borax, used in laundry detergents, from Nevada. This was the origin of 20-Mule Team Borax brand, the original sponsor of Death Valley Days (1952).
Legend has it that in 1875, Nevada Senator William Stewart (1827-1909) hired Remi Nadeau to ship two 500-pound silver ingots. Tiburcio Vasquez (1835-1875), reportedly a friend of Nadeau, stole one of the ingots. Vasquez was captured shortly after, and Nadeau visited him in prison to say that Nadeau had saved his life, and he had agreed never to rob Nadeau. Vasquez said he learned of the shipment from a card dealer to whom Vasquez had an obligation, which is why he took only one ingot.