Mohave County miner., 1883-04-15
Interesting Account of the Early Working of the Silver
 Hill Mine.
Killed by Indians While Working
 in the Shaft.
Mining Under Difficulties.

ganlzed i'll Sonoma county, California, tC send small party into Mohave county fol the purpose of prospecting in what was then called the Sacramento District, which then included a very large area of land an6 out of which the present Wallapai districi was formed years after.
 The names of the unfortunate men who composed the party sent out on this expe- dition were Ira Woodworth, MetcaIf Baker | Andrew Judson and - Benjamin. They arrived in the district in September, 1865. and on the 11th of the same month located the Silver Hill lode. The ioca tion notice has the names of the nineteen men inter- ested in the company, and the claim took up 5000 feet in all. When first discovered 1t was taken up and worked as gold ledge and the four men above named worked or the mine for eight months, sinking the main shaft to depth of about 100 feet, be- sides sinking two or three small prospect shafts. Two other men named Sam. Knoodles and James Conover were workin- Jn a claim about mile south, and these six were the only white men in the Sacramento ] district at that time. They ali lived to- Gether at what is now called Chloride, about . mile from the mine.
 ! The Indians were in the habit of hangin. i sbOut the camp with friendly appearance l and had gained the confidence of the Sono- ma party, but bnOOdles and COnover always dstrusted them and never went unarmed. So great was the confidence of the SonomA party i'll the Indians that they soon got in. 60 the habit of going to their work unarmed with the exception of Benjamin who in- gariably carried shot gun.
 One day about eight months after their trrival in the district the party were all at work on the mine Baker and Judson beine III the bottom of the 100 foot shaft, and WoodwOrth and Benjamin at the windlass. when, at about 10 o'clock a. m, the In jiaus opened fire on them without mo- ment's warning. Woodworth fell over the dump, shot through the heart; Benjamin. although badly wounded, seized his shotgun and made for the open valley, but was over taken before he had run mile and killed. in the meantime the parties in the shaft met with a most horrible death the Indians throwing great boulders and rocks down on them from above. JUdson was evidently killed outright, as his body was found un- derneath the rocks. but Baker must have made earful struggle for life, as when found he was lying on 8 pile of rocks with which the shaft was filled to the night of six feet above the body of Judson. It must s,., SoI- -I, I,oIe shaft up to this extent, and during all thih time the poor miner underneath must have suffered death thousand times over until tt last the life was crushed out of him. While this horrible butohery was going ou another party of Indians attacked Knoodles claim. Conover being in the shaft anG Knoodles at the windlass. They opened fire without word or sign of warning, ana Knoodles was struck by rifle ball whicl went through his right shoulder as he stooc by the windlass. Quick as 3 fash he grasped ais Henry rife in his left hand and pointed 1t at the Indians at winch motion the COW. 4rdly Indians slunk behind the rocks. Keep ing his rifle pointed at them he called to his partner in the shaft: By gracious, Jim. the blamed Indians have winged me and you will have to climb the rope to get out;'' which it is needless to say did not take him long, Upon gaining the surface Conover took the rife and they started across the valley with the intention of trying to reach the settlement on the Colorado river at Hardyville. which swas the nearest place where assistance could be procured. Con- over sent Knoodles on ahead while he walk ed backwards keeping his rifle pointed at the Indians and shooting whenever one came in range. The Indians followed them for some miles, but at length gave up the chase and returned to their mountain. retreats. The two men then continued thier long journey across the valley some sixteen miles, and when within five miles of Union Pass Xpoodles gave out from loss of blood and lay down. DonoYer made his way to Har- dyville and party was sent out with a wagon to pick up Knoodles and bury the dead. When found Knoodles was nearly dead, but after careful nursing and treat ment he recovered, although to this day he carries his arm hanging limp and useless by his side. He is now living in Illinois.
 This was the commencement of hostiIities Sa the part of the Wallapai Indians an ! from that time until 1s7lia constant warfare was kept up by them aga st tae white dur ing which time many an ol1 s.t:ler and many an Indian bit the dust.
 In tho fall of 1870 tho Old Mohave Com
 
 pAny was formed at Hasdyville by Benj. H. Spear, sam. Todd, JAmes Fleming. James P. Bull, W. J. Fee and A. E. Davis, who ssnt a party under ". J. Fee as foreman to make some locations in the ne% district, which they named Wallapai district. The district was formed at Soldiers Springs, HOW Cerb3t, on the 14th of Nov 1S71 and o4s 4f the rules adopted was that all the old Sacramento distr!ct locations enoniti bs te- spected and their owners were invited to come back and take their old claims.
 The Old Mohave Company located the first si1 claims in the new Wallapai district, viz: Mohave Chief, Knoodlps, bispaBok, Buckeye, Savage and Woodwortn. This was the nucleus around which large num- bers of miners from Nevada gathered and whose experience led to the discovery of our rich chloride ores, the earlier settlers having only looked for gold and galena IaJCa5 ThaSa rioh oblOrida OraS bova bao,,