Show gold hunters rush to mojave desert rich strikes recall glamorous days of 49 mojave calif following one of the most abaz ng and sensational gold strikes in all history california Is witnessing a new gold rush which recalls her glamorous days of 49 the first huge strike the silver queen already has been optioned to a south african syndicate tor for 3 SO scarcely had the first rush of ad filled this small desert town to overflowing when dusty miners came with news of two more rich strikes only a few miles distant gold mining experts from all parts et f the world hastened to mojave for months the news was kept secret then it leaked out and the rush was on located in 1933 the silver queen was first located in september 1933 1533 by george holmes thirty two year old former r student of the university of southern california holmes who has prospected the mojave area for fourteen years found a fragment of gold bearing ore broken off a ledge while scouring a hill slope about seven miles from mojave holmes asked a friend bruce min nard twenty eight year old practical miner to help him find the ledge by a thousand toone to one shot they dm dug a trench and discovered the mother ledge idge only six feet below the surface holmes gave minnard flanard If a 20 per cent share they then drew in virgil dew for his d aging under a blistering sun he too was given a 20 per cent share minnard and dew furnish the first tragedy of the new gold rush As months slipped past they lost coap dence eventually minnard linnard lk sold his hold ings to cy Tonn townsend send for W shor ly afterward dew also sold his shar shara for 1000 townsend and his assort ates bought him out finally a syndicate offered halmet and his father who own CO GO per cent of the claim 10 for the ledge they refused it succeeding offers of and likewise were rejected option for three million then the worlds most noted gold mining experts began to arrive among the first were the old goldfield crowd senator key pittman of nevada george wingfield and walter trent also came former senator tasker L odd e of nevada who with jim but ter 4 sc the rich tonopah field and al at myers in nil till told field of south africa sent fifteen men to mojave and not I 1 long at af r erward the sauth african corn com pany took an option on holmes silver queen for 3 it was when news of the big mitlon ol 01 tion price leaked out recently that the world at large first became ap of california s new amazing gold strike and the rush was on I 1 the highway leiding to Is jammed with automobiles busses heavy trucks hauling lumber and in n ing machinery and thousands of cars of tourists and sightseers early in the rush however an no was made that the new strike would prove of little value to the casual prospector hunt for the precious metal around Is no game for the inexperienced |