Lyon County times. [volume] (Silver City, Nev.) 1874-1907, 1888-03-10
DEATH VALLEY.


1ncidents Of q Search fer the 1srey.
regle Vein.
james G. Court. one Of party Of pros.
pectors, whs has just returned from search
for the breyfegle mine in Death Valley
gives an account Of his trip to the Austin
RsveiAt:
The men carried theirIcamp outfit and pre-.
visions in feur-hsrse wagon. They exps.
henced as great difficulty in regssa to
scarcity Of water. bus sfsen found 1t Of poor
quality; barely drinkable. Their principal
trouble was the scarity Of feed for their ami.
mails. They were obliged to spend mueh
time in clearing boulders out Of the road in
canyons. This detained them in places
where there was NO feed and their animals
became very thin and weak. Is they had
gone out with pack animals they would have
been all right.
HOT WEATHER IN DEATH VALLEY IN IAsuA.
RY.
IL the northern part Of Death Valley they
found water everywhere by digging three or
four feet, batit was hard and brackish. They
were in Death Valley during the cold snap
in January, at the time when the mercury
ranged from 20 to So dsgrees below sers in
Nevada. The men laugh when told that
fears were entertained that they had been
frosen to death. At that very time they
were at Furnace Greek, Death Valley, aAd
were travelling about in their shirt sleeves on
account Of the heat. Grasshoppers and 10.
Gusts we're chipping about them, and their
only trouble was to keep cool.
''LosT wAGoNs"-THr OLD EMIoRANr CAMP.
At Lost Wagons, on Salt Creek, they
camped On the ground where the unfortunate
emigrant party was cast away in early days.
They brought away with them as relics per.
tons Of the old wagons and some Of the
implements and utensils left by the lost EN-.
igrants. Where the emigrsnts died the
water is salt aud bad, but within fsur or Ave
miles plenty Of good water could have been
obtained BY digging tie or three feet.
IN TIE LAVA MOUNTAINS.
The mountains in NEST places are lava.
capped, thetefsre water is net to be found
on their summiss, which is a great draw. back
to prospecting. Water must be looked for
in the valleys and seiow the line Of the lava.
The party went in search Of the Breyfegle
vein, in the existence Of which they have
much faith on account Of the data furnished
BY Crantsville men who knew Breyiogle and
who went with him to search for his lest gold
vein. The present party say that lowing to
the lava) the whole country presents the
same appearance. Wherever they went they
were obliged to set up landmarks in order to
find their way back 10 camp.
A PROJECTORS PARADISE.
The men say the whole country is full Of
quartz veins. These crep out in the canyons
where channels have been cut through the
lava int the granite. slate and other country
rock. They saw veins Of quartz 400 feet in
width. In one Of these was an unknown
black metal. They got good gold prospects
in many places BY horning out the dirt
alongside the quartz vein, and brought back
many samples for assay.
THEY ARE OFF AGAIN.
The men will return about the middle Of
this month, and will make this trip with
pack animals. They think they will this
time stand q chance to find the "jewelry
shop" seen by Breyfsgle, as they will take
with them from Grapevine an old Indian who
has agreed for "heap money" to show them
the mine. They believe that this cid Indian
assisted at the ceremony of scalping old
Breyfogle, therefore have faith in him. He
says: "You cotchum me money, me fetch.
UNI ysu to place."
The boys-,he tive Courts and McComb-
are now at Grantsville preparing for a Sec
ond trip. They will be joined by Stinniger
at Grapevine. They say railroad has been
surveyed frsm Salt Lake City that will run
through Ash Meadows. near Death Valley,
and they wan, to be on the ground before
the surveyors fad cut too much about the
country. At Furnace Creek they found Al.
Maynard in charge Of the Cslema Borax
Company. He told them they were the first
party Of prsspecssrs he had seen in year.
OF Maynard they procured some barley and
hay for their exhausted animals.