The White Pine news. [volume] (Treasure City, Nev.) 1868-1906, 1870-07-02

sisted of Mr.. Washburn, II. Murdoff ant
VIM. Arnold. They had three saddle
animals, two mules and a wagon, will
ample supplies. Murdoff and Arnold
remained in Utah, whilst Washburn,
who was taken down with mountain
fever, returned here. The party pros
pected through southeastern Nevada, and
found one mineral belt which they CON
slider very good. The exact location is
no given; but some fine lodges were dis
covered, and the explorers are of opinion
that it will soon be the center of a large
population. There is an abundance OF
fine agricultural soil in the valleys and
plateaus of the vicinity, and the whole
region is well supplied with timber and
water.
THE MoRMoNs AND MINING.
Up to the completion of the Overland
Railroad, mining, as a business, was
under the tabu of Brigham Young, and
the Mormons, therefore, did but very
little, if any prospecting. But since that
time the tabu has been revoked, and the
Saints are giving considerable attention
TO mineral lands. The result of their
entry into this restricted field of industry
has tended to open a number of mining
sections heretofore untouched. There
is "A belt of about 70 miles Of ranges in
southwestern Utah, tolerably convenient
to the railroad, which the Washburn
party consider as fine a stretch of mining
country as has ever been discovered.
This party startedinto the Mormon coun-
try with very unfavorable impressions
regarding the Saints. But they were
greatly disappointed. They found theee
pioneers kind, hospitable and free. As
a class, they seem TO occupy the hum
blest station in the Mormon society.
They are not at all intelligent or intel
l%ectual; but possess the virtue of hospi-
tality in an eminent degree. They are
all Europeans by birth, and seem to have
but little communion with the outside
world. They are the faithful and I'M
murmnring slaves of the church, ard be-
lieye implicitly in the rule Of their elders.
They are the advance-guard Of Mormon
civilization, and differ in nothing from
the generality of agricultural pioneers,
save in the very low grade OF their in
~telligence.
OF A DEAF MAN.
When the Washburn party were within
four days travel of Sewer river, they
met a solitary Mormon, who informed
them that he had passed the body of a
dead man near the road and within four
miles of SEWER River. He had first
seen his horse grazing near the river;
but thinking some parties were encamped
in the neighborhood he thought nothing
of the circumstance, until he came upon
the body. 1t then had clothes on, and
all that Mr.. Washburn can recollect of
the description is that he wore white
duck oyerhauls. From circumstances
which impressed his mind, he thinks
that the victim was a White Piner, and
that he persisted for want of water. The
Mormon was coming from Camp Floyd,
and when be saw the body il could not
have been dead long. He excused his
failure to examine it for papers on the
ground that he was alone. Some be-
lieved he was murdered, but subsequent
circumstances went to show that he per-
ished from starvation aud thirst. When
the Washburn party had reached the
scene of death, the body had been di-
vested of every particle Of flesh by the
ravenous coyotes. The mans horse was
there, and this the only clue that can
ever lead to his identity. 1t was what is
called a flea bitten animal. The man
was within four miles Of water when he
persisted on the desert. From the last
watering plaee-Antelope Springs-to
the SEWER there is n desert to cross some
30 or 60 miles in width. From the high
point overlooking this desert green spots
and brush country can be seen, where
the traveller, unless posted, is certain Of
finding water. But there is not a drop.
The poor fellow doubtless fell into the
illusion, and started over the desert with
out a supply, and persisted.
RAvEsous COYOTES.
As one hears the Sewer country he ia
beset by bands Of hungry and yelping
coyotes, who neither give the men or the
animals any peace. 1t is necessary for
the rear man to shoot often ut these
pests to keep them from swapping at the
TANKS of the animals. They are so
ravenous that they eat and tear every
thing in the shape Of cloth, bones or flesh
they can steal upon. They follow tray-
elers with the persistence of Siberian
wolves. and are equally as dangerous;
for they go in immense bands, and are
not without n perseyering courage TINT
makes them dangerous and compels the
utmost vigilance OF the part Of adyen-
turers.
MISCELLANEOUS.
1t was noted, as q curious fact, that
the party never saw a single Indian
from the time they left Spring Valley.
about rs miles south Of Hamilton. From
that place the party struck off in an
eas,erly direction, facing the run Of the
mountain belts or ranges. These were
all found to have practicable passes, and
frequently fine stretches of land fit for
agriculture. But never an Indian, nor
the semblance Of a campoody, was seen.
They found prospects of silver and
other metals in nearly all these ranges.
The great difficulty in most of them is
the utter destitntion of water. The
patches of fertile soil here and there are
well irrigated; but the high plateaus
and mountains are dry and the earth
strongly impregnated with alkali. There
is n vast field in this direction yet open
to the hardy explorer and pioneer, and
possibly the lifting of the mining inter
diction from the disciples of Joe Smith,
will have the effect Of causing many and