The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1872-09-04

Thomas McCluskey is q characte
about San Francisco, and is popu'arl,
supposed to know something about tn
recently discovered diamond fields il
Arizona and New Mexico. A reporte
OF the San Francisco Chronicle recent,
interviewed him with the following re
silt:
Reporter-McCluskey. how abou
these diamonds and rich placer digging
you srumhled over in Arizona?
McCluskey-Well, they're there, my
boy, YOU be-. ! know just where the,
are Here Mr.. McCIuskey skipped
around on his cork leg and took q sea,
in front Of his bar They're abou
eighty miles from Prescott. It's abou
~ much as fellows scalp is worth tc
get there. bnt when he reaches the spo,
he's got fortune.
Rrporrer-Iudians, eh?.
McCluskey-You bet. See this
pointing TO the cork appendage Well
that's what l got by goih there / run
across this place one day when wa:
out prospecting. It's little bit OF 8
valley. Just between two hills or slopes
! The ground is covered with grass anC
low bushes. The little valley or basin
is thousand yards square, probably
and it's only two feet down to the bed
rock. Well, l took off wheat sack
iull Of this dirt and carried it twelve
miles to water, where we washed it out
There wasn't but fifty pounds OF it, but
We got twenty ounces OF gold That
shows how rich it ia.
Reporter-We'l, Tom, why don't you
secure YOUR claim?
McCluskey-Well, did go bacl;
there to stake off the claim, bat came
across some Apaches-and-well,
didn't stake the claim quite so much AZ
l expected to. In fact, they staked of
pretty heavy clam on me. While al
work with one of my boys the Ind ans
fired on Us. ! was shot In the leg, and
finally the leg had to be amputated.
Reporter-Is this the same place you
found the diamonds
AS THICK A. BLACKBERRIES?
McCluskey-Yes, | brought home
two of the stones, but didn't know
exactly what they were. I'd seen such
stones in Montana, and didn't think
they We're worth anything. One OF the
stones | gave away to q man in San
Francisco; it wasn't long before he
came back and gave me $500 Tor the
other. Then | opened my eyes, be-
cause the stones are as thick there as
blackberries,
Reporter-Tom, tell We where this
place is.
McCluskey-It's eighty miles from
Prescott.
Rpporter-In what direction?
McCluskey thinking a momenD-
Its about eighty miles from Prescott, |
think.
Rep,rter-I know, but in what To-
cality?
McCluskey (after long panse)-
Well, yes, l think-I think it's about
ninety miles from Prescott.
Reporter-Wh have you never gone
back there, Tom?
McCiuskey-Well, I've been waitin'
in hopes that Gen. Crook would make
a fight with the Apacbes. Because
YOU see, il he kills about twenty OF
them Indians the restll get mad about
it. and they'll either scalp Gen. Crook
and all his soldiers or drive them out o.
the country. Then the Government
might perhaps send respectable force
down there.
Keporter-I,'s a wonder the Indians
didn't murder you when they iounc
you.
HOW HE LOST HIS LEG.
McCluskey-Well it wasn't theil
fault that thew didn't. I'll tell you how
I got clear. There were three of US il
the p,rty-my boy, a little French NAV
aud myself We had just got to the
di ,gnys, and were about to FIJI oul
sacks with dirt, wher all at once w
were fired upon from an ambush. Thu
little Frenchman was killed. nv son.
mule was shot, aud got bullet in th'
! leg. The other two mules stampeded
The boy and I got down behind the
dead mule and fought the red devils Al
hour, and finally drove them of. ! die
not notice my wound much at the time
and that night we walked twenty-five
miles to the rancho. When | got Their,
INV boot was full Of blood and from
that time the wound got worse. Tn'
leg WAS cut off in the army hospital q
Prescott.
Reporter-How big a party would i
take to 90 there? Would ten b
enough?
! McCluskey-Yes, ten would be enough
to start with. But (laughing) Their
wouldn't be more than one OF them tha
YOU ever see again.
Reporter-What are the facilities 10
mining there?
MeCluskey-Well, if the digging
hold out a. good as my bag full Of dr.
did, three men and couple Of team
would wash enough gold in week t
fill hogshrad. ,,
Reporter-To say nothing OF tn
diamonds ?
McCIuskey-0r the rubies. There
lots OF 'em in the gravel.
RepMter-The only trouble ther
seems to be is the Indians
McCluskey with shudder)-Ye'
and that's trouble enough.
Reporter-Bat il YOUR gold mire
only eighty miles from Prescott, how
it that the military haven't subdued tn
Indians tbereabouts?
suBDUINo THE INDIANS.
McCluskey-Subiued2 with a looI
Of the gravest establishment Subdue
them Indians? Why all the soldier
down there couldn't subdue one of EN-
l Why, they never kill any Indians bu
them that's sick and over eighty year