Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1889-03-12
NUGGETS AND HUNGER
THOUSANDS FASTENING TO LOWER CALL
P0RNIA
Those Who are Well Equipped Taking Out Plenty
Of Precious Metal, bat Suffering for
Lack Of Food Sure to
Follow.

Los ANGELES, March l1.-Another large
delegation of gold hunters from in and
around here left for the Lower California
gold fields yesterday. The excitement is
increasing daily, and if the good reports
continue the whole peninsula will be over
run in a few days. A special, direct from
the Santa Claraicountry to-day, says:
THE placer miners are much richer
than was first reported. Probably $50 600
have already been taken out, and fifty
Mexcans are at work in the camp. Not
one of them will tell the truth regarding
the extent Of their discoveries saw at
least dozen natives yesterday putting
nuggets in their mouths, and when asked
if they were having any luck invariably
said No" Two young men with crude
rocker have taken out SIS in two days.
Several placer claims were sold in camp
yesterday for $500 and 500 each. Good
order prevails, but gambling for gold dust
Ia the nightly passion, aud the Mexican
Indians are the leaders
Six mining companies have been ofgan-
ized al EnseDada, and stamp and quartz
mills will be erected at once Quart leads
cf free gold are TO be found in all direc-
iions Scarcely q prospector returns with
out rock Of glitterIDg gold. Water is not
very plenty, but will last for several
months. The Mexicans aud Indians 90
not work in the W ter, but scrape around
in the creyices between the rock. They
dig ont . large hole 10 bed rcck end scratch
around in dirt with their spOo-s for mug
gets. The Americans are using the rocker
and gold pan with great success.
Provisions are getting very scarce. A
newspaper correspondent turned cook for
purity of ten in order to pay for his grnb.
Hundreds of poor men who have walked 90
the mines without money are stranded and
depend on their neighbors for food.
Thousands of men and boys sre work
ing their way toward camp without money
or food, and great suffering is sure TO fol-
low. Those Who are equipped are doing
well and taking out plenty Of precious
metal, the average value OF nuggets being
over $50.
''Oser 300 prOspectors are in the sur
rounding hills looking for quartz leads.
Gaskell aud Bennett have located seven
lodges, and work will begin as coon ai
tools and machinery can reach the camp
The men with whom your correspondent;
is staying have taken cut $500 m three
days"
The quartz ledges are very rich and war-
rant the belief thlt the camp will be
permanent one. Professor g o. Anthony,
mining expert, says:
II believe the gold belt to be almost
continuous for l50 miles, and below that
copper and iron predominate for the next
100 miles. look on the Santa Clara dis
covery as similar 10 the discoveries that
led 10 the development OF Deadwood.
TIE quartz discoveries will give peTma-
Money to the mining industry there, bat
the placers will probably BE- exhausted in
a few months. / believe other gulches
equally rich will be opened up
Over 2,O0O men have left San lego and
vicinity during the past twenty four hours.
The shops and stores are closing, aud every
gold pan and shovel has been shipped
South