Show the prospector and his burro TV 4 1 you seem to be wandering an dering around today looking this way and that as if you had lost something said the prospector to his burro 1 I cannot imagine what your loss may be unless it is your voice and it would be a blessing to humanity if you were parted with that forever as this is about the only thing associated with a burro that is not nice and comfortable but talking about losing something reminds me of the accidental discovery of gold bearing ledges and the failure to find the locality afterwards this is a common experience and the story told me about the discovery and subsequent loss of gold bearing veins by the old man who visited our camp last night will bear repeating as well as being interesting the narrative is as follows in 1904 peter a german prospector new to the desert was out on a grubstake from goldfield prospecting in a range of low hills which extends south from the KaN kawich banvich vich range into the ralston desert after prospecting some days in these hills he discovered some rich gold float but before he had time to trace it to its source his water supply gave out and as he had not been wise enough to first acquaint himself with the location of the nearest water supply on entering the country he found himself in a serious condition as the weather was extremely hot and water must be had in a very short time to save himself and horses from death by thirst after a hurried and unsuccessful search in the immediate vicinity for water he lightened his wagon of everything not absolutely needed and struck out for the south end of the stonewall wall mountains seventy five miles away where the nearest spring he knew of existed it took three days of constant travel to reach the spring and the horses on arrival were in a most pitiable famished and exhausted condition himself had alleviated his thirst en route with condensed milk on arriving at the spring not knowing any better allowed the horses to drink their fill of water after which each of them laid down rolled and expired in a few minutes in ag agony ony strangely enough and fortunately had no desire tor for water for a day or two but taking a little at a time his thirst returned and he was soon entirely recovered from the trip after being entirely recuperated pe rated he struck out afoot a foot for cuprite forty miles away and reached there without further mishap his experiences on the trip had been such however that he had no desire to return and reap the benefits of his discovery several years year s afterward this same and a companion was prospecting with a string of burros in the humboldt range and were camped at black knob spring they had prospected some days without success when one afternoon returning to camp they found that the burros had strayed away and at once started out to hunt them he struck their trail after a time headed straight for a high pass in the range and finally overtook them on the top of the pass about four miles from camp and when it was too dark to see distinctly while following the burros and as he neared the pass yass it then being already dusk crossed a number of ledges and more as a matter of habit than anything else chipped off a number of pieces of quartz along the strike of each and put them in his pocket without examination intending to test them by pan and mortar the next day what was his joy and excitement the next morning to find that several of the samples showed shot gold very large and heavy not doubting that he could go right to the place where the rock was secured and his partner started at once up the mountain but their search was unsuccessful though they even found some of the ledges and places from which had chipped samples A thorough and minute search lasting several weeks was made without bringing to light one trace of gold and although has since revisited the place several times and put in on an aggregate of several months of intelligent tell igent systematic prospecting he has fau found faund nd no trace of the golden ledge and still from time to time ho he returns to the vicinity or of the place where in an area of a mile square he knows a fortune lies with its apex above the surface of the ground 1 I want to tell you old long ears concluded the prospector when I 1 find anything rich I 1 put a diamond hitch on it and tie one end of the rope to my leg while I 1 sleep A new discovery is a slippery thing wild and unruly and must be handled care fully until fully trained and gentled and there you are and then some |