Butte semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1886-1890, 1889-10-05
WATER IN DEATH TALLEY.
Good Prospects for the Place Where SO
Many Have Persisted.

Good Prospects for the Place Where Sc
Many Have Persisted.
Los Angeles Herald: Few are those who
have not read or heard OF the train OF eni
grants who, in the year 1850, left the
beaten route known as the old Mormon
trail and sought to reach the cool waters
and green lands beyond the desert by the
way Of q sandy plain breaking through the
mountain range. On either side rise pre-
cipitous and blackened walls OF mountains
like giant palisades, and for sixty mile the
wide, sandy lane extends without vsgeta'
ton and without water. The eighty sever
souls who entered there in 1850, lured by
the mirage which ever pictured fair lakes o.
water just before them, all persisted o.
thirst. The bones of eighty-three OF the un'
fortunate emigrants were gathered together
by the Panamint Indians, and the mound
in which the savages buried them is still to
be seen in what is called Emigrant canyon
The desert about has since been known as
Death Valley.
This desert place of deserts is in lnyc
county, 1875 miles north by east OF Orc
Grande, the nearest railroad point. From
the railroad station the valley is reached
with horses or. mules, and all materials
and provisions have to be packed or
bnrros. The valley has q trend from the
west to the southeast, and is bounded or
the southern line by the Funeral noun
tains, which debsueh into the Ivswaren
range, which runs nearly north and south
The Panamint range extends westerly from
the southwestern portion OF the valley,
and intercepts the state range, which runs
north and south, with an easterly trend
The entire plain inclosed by these noun
tain ranges is entirely destitute Of water,
and is rarely ventured upon saw by the
Indians OF the Panamint country.
From early times it has been known that
Death Valley was rich in precious minerals
it's lap OF death was 8 treasury o.
yellow gold and sparkling silver. In lat;
years prospector after lrcspeetor haG
dared to explore this region IF DEATH enI !
to leave his bones to blea b On the be
sands, or to return. after 2ardsEir q
suffering, hopeless OF gaining .rs I'd
wealth he found there. "No water, nc
water anywhere" was the despairing cry
OF every prospector who returned. The
mi .ers who are now developing the newly
81 AVPSAo Oh"O "lbnll wv
months they have found the bodies of six
prospectors who have persisted on the des-
ert from thirst. Some three weeks ago, as
a party of them were passing through
Wind Gate pass, they heard the faint
"Hellol Hellol" OF q voice in the distance.
They followed the sound, but could not
find the dying nun. After several hours,
as their water had nearly given out, they
the search. They did not hear
q cry of help alter the first time. The fol.
day an exploring party which fol-
them came upon the body Of q man
but a few hours dead. Although his last
despairing cry had reached the ears OF the
it had failed to save him, and he
had persisted miserably with help within q
stones throw. But water has now been
A few months since r. B. Taylor, the
of South Riverside, fitted out I'm
exploring expedition and put himself al the
head OF it. After locating several mines the
explored for water. Directed by the
Indians, they found it after many
lays OF search, and strange to tell, they
it in abundance, but high w in the
nountains-so high that it is distributed
absorbed by the dry hills before it,
the burning plains, or perhaps
away through some subteranean
as the Humboldt and Carson rivers
ink out of sight in the deserts OF Nevada.
The constant supply of which has been found
will have to be pied or flumed down the
mountain side to the mines, but in what
yer way it is to be utilized, the finding OF
[ will open one OF the richest mining dis
riots in California and make grandly wealth
Producing the most sterile portion OF the
tate.
The Death Valley Mining company has
zen incorporated, with Mr.. Taylor as
resident and manager, and is developing |
he eight mines that have been located by |
be company as rapidly as possible, and |
hey will be worked for legitimate returns.
he ore SO far as taken out is OF a high |
rade, free milling, and assaysfro $500 to
1000 q ton, with a large percentage of
old. Pure galena and sulphates arefound, |
he latter bearing free gold. Lodges have
cen followed for q mile, and Panamit |
the old Indian chief, says that The
fountains are full of gold and silver.
The mines OF the Death Valley Mining
ompany are situated on the southern
1ge OF Death Valley, in the Funeral Noun
sins.