Los Angeles daily herald. [volume] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1873-1876, 1874-05-19
UP THE MOUNTAINS.

| or more past, MT. y. "A. bell mas Deen
prospecting through the range of
mountains lying north of our city.
Something over week ago he found
n lead which struck him as being
more than usually promising; he
secured specimens, had them assayed,
and his impressions were confirmed.
Then, without sounding trumpet
before him, or attempting display OF
his good fortune, he entered his claims,
made his discoveries known to few
of our leading citizens, formed COM
pany for working the lead, and there,
as the legal term goes, rests his
case.u
A VISIT.
A few days ago our reporter received
an invitation to visit the new claims,
and in company with two well known
citizens made the trip by way of a
Sunday pasear. There was no inten-
ton to break the Sabbath, but the day
was so charming, the air so clear, and
the mountains and valleys so invit-
ing, that the temptation was too great
to be resisted, and We simply sus-
pended the fourth commandment and
went. Perhaps it would be no more
than proper to tell the whole truth,
now we have commenced, and as "an
honest confession is good for the soul"
we will make clear statement of our
case ard ask dissolution from our
generous readers. One of the party
took along his shotgun, and although
our conscientious scruples would not
bear the imputation OF
HUNTING ON SUNDAY,
Still we drove the horse that drew the
buggy which carried the game that
Jack killed. A brisk drive of five
miles brought us to the place of rem
desvouz. Nine. Plummer's house,
where we were to meet Mr.. Bell, and
he piloted us up through the mountain
cation to the incipient Eel Dorado. We
had been directed to 60 out Pico street,
pass under the fiume, by the Chinese
gardens and Hunts blacksmith shop,
and stop at house with f1ag-pole in
front. All these instructions we
strictly adhered to, under the rule that
the longest way round is the surest
way there, and at last found ourselves
at Nine. Plummer's.
We met Mr.. Bell and his companion,
Mr.. Plummer, mounted and ready for
business, and at once set out upon our
jaunt. From this place to the noun
tains which we were to climb is a dis
nf txxrn II ho1 a
distance accomplished, we found our
selves at the mouth of
LES PELONES CANON.
This locality is well known and
needs no general description from us.
1t is one of succession of cations run
ming up the western slope of the
mountains, and containing the ordinary
romantic scenery of steep mountain
sides, filled at the bottom with scrub
timber, ana traversed by q rough
bride path, by which an ascent is
made to the top of the mountains. On
this side lie Plummer and Laurel caiI-
ons, and beyond the now famous
NICHOLS CANON,
Where Vasquez was captured. Driving
up as far as the road was passable for a
buggy, we made halt beneath some
small trees and picketed our horses.
Here we Invested ourselves of all
supernuous luggage, forming a sort of
cache against our return; not without
some little misgivings, however, lest
some of the Vasquez gang might still
be lingering in their old haunts, and
might take fancy to ride off with our
animals and baggage. But we placed
our trust in "honOr among thieves"
and were not disappointed. If any of
the bandits were there, we will say
that they are gentleman, and they
have our best regards. Starting
UP THE CANON,
We followed a zig-zag path tracing the
bed of small stream, which has its
rise in springs further up in the noun
tains, The water is clear and limpid,
like most streams of the kind, and cool
to degree strongly suggestive of ice
in it somewhere. Here and there 1t
forms in little eddies beneath the
shadow of an overhanging rock or the
thickly clustered foliage; then it goes
trickling down over its stony bed,
making it's banks luXuriant with the
growth of o thousand plants. Near
the mouth Of the cai1on it loses itself
in the sand, and the pleasing picture
is no more. A hundred places along
the stream would make paradise for
trout; but we saw only a solitary in
habitant of the stream, a species OF
swift or lizard of reddish brown
color, called in Spanish "Les POlones"
the bald-headed. From these little
animals the cailOn takes it's name.
Leaving the stream at last, we take
q winding path up the mountain on
our right, and after climbing to the
hight of at least five hundred feet, find
ourselves confronting ledge of rock
our objective point-still far from the
summit. This is the
CAnUNGA CLAIM,
Discovered by Mr.. Bell and owned by
him, in company with Governor
Downey. Mr.. Potts, Mr.. Desmond, and
another party whose name we did not
learn. The ledge isabout foot thick,
and is well defined for a distance of
thirteen hundred feet. 1t rises like a
perpendicular we'll to height of eight
or ten feet for part OF this distance,
The rock is genuine quartz, gold bear
ing, with a small proportion of silver.
Specimens from it have assayed nearly
ten dollars to the ton, taking both
metals together, and that from surface
rock. One Of our party IA forty-niner,
by the way, whose opinion is worth
something on almost any subject,
saws that it presents one of the best
indications which he has ever seen. 1t
is what miners term in their vernacu-
lar an A lead, the ledge being shaped
| ,on, otb;nO lilo tha oLtlinaS of that