Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1884-12-11

spring, but when she returned to the
place where she had left her companion,
he was gone. Frightened at the situa-
ton ia which she was left, she began to
search for the Indian, and climbed to
the top of pactapa to look about.
There she found the gold; but she was
in too much fear to gather much of it.
She travelled all of that day and part
OF the night, when she saw light and
made for it. This brought her to the
station early in the morning. As soon
as she was able to travel, the squaw left
the station.
1t seems that the agent did not place
sufficient confidence in her story TO try
to trace her course back into the desert,
or his duties at the station or some
other cause prevented him from doing
so.
CONCURRENCE OF THE SEVERAL TRADI-
TIoNs.
A little reflection will show that the
several stories above recounted point to
substantially the same locality and de-
scribe presumably the same spot as the
place where this deposit of gold is stu
ated. Peg-leg Smith and his party
Travelled three days in north-westerly
direction from the mouth of the ella
before they found it. The distance was
probably about ninety miles. They
then travelled one day (thirty miles) to
reach this side of the desert. The In
dian Yaqui left his hidden spring at the
foot of Smiths mountain (this side of
the desert) at day break, and travelled
easterly until about o'clock in the af-
ternoon. In that time he might have
gone thirty miles. The Indian squaw
and her man, starting for the same
place as Yaqui (Warners Ranch)
might easily have followed the same
course and arrived by chance at the
Same hills. The miner returning from
Arizona was only two days on the des-
ert when he found the gold. but he
travelled alone, with mule and lightly
equipped. He might have made ninety
miles in two days. ALI of the stories
concur as to finding the precious metal
on top of hill, or pachapa. The hid
den spring is referred to by two of the
Indian traditions.
IN SINGULAR CONFIRMATION
OF this part of the story it NAV be stat
ed that Mr.. w. b. RUSSELL who was
Covers companion in all but one of his
expeditions, and who accompanied one
of the searching parties after the lost
man, says they found on their last trip
a spring which neither he nor Cover
had ever known to exist. This may not
be the same spring that the Indians
found, it is true, but the coincidence is
striking.
Some of the stories here given may
seem very shadowy, and / doubt not
they are. have not attempted to fort
ify them with verisimilitude of facts,
but merely give them in the form of
traditions, as handed down from mouth
to mouth. The mine itself may be a
myth. | would not take an oath that |
believe in its existence. But many peo-
pie do believe it. From the apparent
simplicity of the directions one would
almost think that he could start out
from given point, say the spring mt the
foot of Smiths Mountain, and with
days travel find the three pdchap0s and
claim the gold. Let nobody be deceived.
If Tom Cover, the old prospector and
miner, the man Injured to hardships and
acquainted with the desert in all its phases
If he with all these directions in mind
could not find it with years of trial, and
finally yielded up his life in the venture,
what chance is there for novice to
climb the hill of gold? Enough valuable
lives have been sacrificed already in the
pursuit of this chimera.
COVERS EXPEDITIONS.
As previously stated, Cover made five
several trips upon the desert in the
course of five years in search of this
mine. Besides this he fitted out one ex-
petition ut his individual expense, the
party being composed of Hank Brown
and q. ID. Gass, old prospectors, of San
Bernardino, who spent the greater part
of the summer of 1888 traversing the
desert in search of signs. So far as the
practical results of these expeditions
went, they were nothing. The only in
dications of mineral were found by Gov
er near Smith Mountain, and consisted
of strip of black sand, such as usually
accompanies mineral deposits. These
however, could not be
traced to any tangible source. The
badland hills being of secondary forma-
ton, makes it evident to any expert
enced miner that nothing of mineral
character is TO be found in them. In
Covers first expedition II. j Rudisi and
r. W. Daniels, both well-known citizens
of Riverside. accompanied him. The
party prospected the desert northeast of
the railroad, and had some severe expe-
riences. 1t was when returning from
this trip that Cover got the squaw's
story from the station-keeper at Flowing
Wells. He then made up his mind that
the mine must be situated south of the
railroad, and determined TO pursue his
investigations in that section thencefor-
ward.
On the second and each succeeding
expedition he was accompanied only by
w. b. Russell. That time an effort was
made to skirt the desert on the west,
penetrating between the badland hills
and the mountains. After exploring
the hills to a considerable extent, they
returned without having made their way
through.
In their third attempt they circum-
vented the "badland' hills on the east
and north and attempted to find pas
sage between the hills and the noun
tains, coming south. They got only a
part of the way through, when they
were obliged to turn about and come
home the way they went. On this trip
Cover met with
A MISADvENTURE
Which came near precipitating the fate
which finally overlook him. He had
separated from his companion in order
to 60 across range of hills and pros
pect on the way. The team was to
make detour to the right, and the
place of rendezvous was appointed on
the other side of the hills. After work
ing through the hills for half day or
more, Cover found such poor prospects
that he changed his mind about going
across, and concluded to strike out for
the plain, find the wagon track and fol-
low in its wake. But the sand having
drlfted upon its trail. he passed over it
unawares. Night overlook him and
he still travelled on, hoping to find some
trace OF the wagon, while IN fact he was
going in an opposite direction. All
night he continued his search, while ev-
cry step made his situation worse.
When day broke he was able to take his
bearings, and he then discovered his
mistake. Fortunately, his faculties re-
manned clear and he could tell from the
contour of the mountains which direc-
ton to take. About ten o'clock that
morning he rejoined his companion
He had travelled without intermission
for more than thirty hours, over the hills
and through the sand, sustaining him.