The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1886-10-06
TIE FAMOUS DEATH VALLEY.
THREE ADVENTUROUS MEN EiND THE
LONG LOST MINES

There are now in this city thrcc men who
have recently crossed and rccrosscd the
famous Death Valley of Southern Cali
fornia, and who havo succeeded III solv.
ing mine of mystery which has banlcd
the most daring and skillful prospectors
for many years. The Gmsight placcrs
were located in 40, but aftelward lost,
and though repeated attempts have been
made to find them, most of the men en-
gagged in the effort have pcrishod.
About six weeks ago when A. T.. Jud-
son, A. ID. Spring and Barney Carter an
nounced that they were going aftcr the
Gunsight trail, their friends tried to
disuade them, and chance acUuaintances
laughingly 'badc them good-by forever.
No one ever expected to see them again.
and when they set out confidently on
their mission they were given up as dead
men might have been. So many such
expeditions had left this and other towns
only to meet death in its most horrible
form that this ono was REGARDED rs es.
pecially fool-hardy.
About week ago the three men 10 .
turned They came in by mil, ragged
emaciated and feeble, and one of thcm'
Carter, sick abcd. But all were enthu
siastlc over their achievements, and each
had In his pockets nuggets to prove his
assertion that the Gunsight mine had
been found. The story of their trip
would be incredible were they not here
rs living witnesses to it's truth, their
bodies bearing all too plainly the proofs
of the suffcrings which they have under
gone.
knowing that the liscovercrs of the
Gunsight mines crossed the Death Val
ley, these advcnturcrs sought, If posi-
ble, to make the same trail. Once
through the Mojavc desert, they soon
came to the dazzling white sandy plain
where no life can exist. Almost at the
first step they were prostmtcd by the
fierce heat from above and bclow. Their
feet swcllcd so that they wcrc compelled
to rip open their shoes, and the goggles
which they had prepared were but feeble
protection for their eyes.
The men had two wagons, each drawn
by two horses, and in these vehicles they
carried water III barrels and other sup
pies After an hour or two of the most
painful locomotion, the heat becoming
r more intoierable Mt every step the party
paused q few minutes for rest and re-
groaned in their agony, and the men
themselves did not dare look at each
OTHER lest they would read in each others
eyes the despair which all knew was set
Ting upon them. On every hand they
beheld tho whitencd skeletons Of men, of
horses and of burros. In some places
they found the remains of what appcred
to have been an expedition ruined
vehicles, with the skeletons of horses
and men lying about. Vulturcs swoopcd
down upon them with angry cries, and
other birds of prey circlcd high above
their heads, following them rs they
progressed.
When night CAME they followed the
north star, o:,e man trying to sleep while
the others drove At daybreak there
was nothing to relieve the eye. All
ar. und them was the cleaning sand :;
-overL' 'cad the brassy sky, and far away
the rocky sides Of mountains on which
no vcgc,.a able life was ever found.
Weari1y the,y pressed on, confident that
the worst was over, but when almost i'll
sight of the cart range of the Amargosas,
to which they were bounL the blasting
heat played them n merciless prank.
The scorohing which the men and
beasts were enduring with reasonable
fortitude were too much for the water
barrels and their wagons. The wood Of
which they were made shrank and
shrivelled until they fell to pieces, first
&he wagons and then the barrels. All
attempts to keep them together were
hselers.i With the, water gone the party
was we'll mgh in despair, but when the
wagons, too, fell to pieces there was n
minute waen all recognized tho proba-
~. Il, 30
added to the long list OF those which hud
be heard of again. When things np'
peared at their worst, Carter spicd some
fhinR in the white sand q fsV, rods away,
end, hurrying toward it, found the
)! pieces of q wagon which hGd belonged
: 10 a '49er whose skeleton lay close ut
hand. Wood never decays in that at,
mosphere, and of the three wrecked
wagons the men were able TO gear up
ono vehicle that would convey their re-
m, lining supplies and their tools.
T,.,is delay came very near heipg fatal
ITO Ali q Aoncerned. One bor.e died in the
lharnass, and Carter was pro6trated so
.completely ,Shat for q time his life was
despaired of. Toiling painfully along,
now without water aDd with no hope OF
any until they could clear the desolate
valley, Judson and Spring were at
length compelled in their agony to dig
deep into the sand in the hope Of find
ing moisture with which TO qneneh their
intolerablc thirst. 2 AT q depth OF o few
feet they came upon water, but it was
salt. They drank OF 1t, but it only
served to increase their su8ering, and
y when they gave some of it TO their horses
the beasts refused to swallow it. With
a firm determination to press on to the
ut,aost limit OF their strength, tho men
continued their journey, and, at lepgtbi
more dead than alive, they emerged nom
che valley and began the ascent OF the
mountains.
Here they, found some bunch grasa on
which their horsAf feasted, and q spr1ng
,iof water, copious dfauQhts Of which soon
revived the entire party Tarrying at
this spring for aday or two forthe pppr-
nose OF recuperstmQ, the men finally