Los Angeles daily herald., 1889-03-11
The Turn of the ride.

excitement. IL has DelleVeu from Jus
| fret that there is nothing in the "fake,
and that it would result in great individ-
ual loss and wrong. The other side OF
the story is now beginning to come in.
The Messrs. Hellman, Haas & Co. have
advices through trusted agent that the
mines are, in his language, "a sell" and
thousands of the misguided people of the
f'know it all" and "I want look" type,
and many others who were honestly de-
eeived, will be out of pocket by the hum
bug. Probably the return tide OF disap-
pointed seekers after gold, will take up
its march home early in the present
week. Two years ago, five years ago
and sixteen years ago, this same desper-
ate game was played upon the credulity
of the public. 1t has run into an adage
that "far fields are green," and the
saving that distance lends enchant-
ment to the view is familiar to most
people. The misty mountain tops OF
the Santa Clara range of mo untains in
Lower California have borrowed an
eszure hue from the most accomplished
set of liars on the American continent.
From the first the thing exhaled to us an
odor of the Magdalena Bay and Topolo-
bampo frauds.
The San Francisco papers are refer
ring to the Santa Clara "fake" as the
latest development of Gland BOOM"
The Report holds up Los Angeles as in
part responsible for it. This is all sheer
impudence. The HERALD from the first
cautioned every one to 60 slow and to
wait, admitted the existence of some
placer gold and some pocket deposits in
that portion of Lower California adj DIN
ing the American line, and expressed
positive doubts as TO their being any de-
velopments to warrant any excitement
or any great movement in that direction.
That was our opening keynote, and will
be our last, and it is more strongly put
now than then because, as We antici-
pated, reliable advices are coming in
which enable US to speak with auth
ority. At least one other morning
Los Angeles paper refrained from boom
ing the fraud. We regret to say that the
Tribune and Express have seen fit to be
less conservative, and they will have to
reckon with their readers for the lapse g
they have committed in this regard. The
Tribune, in particular, may be said to
have "boomed" the excitement. The
attitude of the people of Los Angeles has
been in the main one of Indifference. A
number of adventurous spirits here be-
lieved in the Munchausen stories 30
freely circulated, aud went down to the
, mines, as they had perfect right to do
Bnt this community is in no sense re-
! sponsible for the stampede OF psople
} across the line.
As to San Diego, the case is widely
different. The newspapers there have
famed the flames, and they have done
} it in spite of the lessons of the past. This
is easily the fifth of excitements about
placer gold discoveries which have been
trumpeted to the world from that city.
Sixteen years ago the same extrava-
CANT stories were telegraphed over
the country, resulting in sending
multituies of people down to the
, Lower California gulches. Fortunately.
, then the facilities for travel were
not so.great as now, and the number vic
timized was accordingly less. Five and
two years ago similar efferts were made.
If, as appears probable, the thing turns
out to be fasco, San Diego will come in
for good deal of animadversion.
Gold, in some quantities, is undoubt-
edly there, bur the water supply, as we
have heretofore explained, is exceedingly
: limited, and lasts but for a few weeks,
the melting SHOWS being the principal
source of supply. A few of the first
corners may gather nugget here and
there, some man, more lucky than his
fellows, may pan out a few ounces, but
the great ragtsg and bobtail OF the
thronging thousands will be lucky if
they can make enough to pay for grub.
Instead of the visions of untold thou
sands that delight the Imagination of the
sanguine prospector5, they will be lucky
if they can earn the wages of Califor-
MIA farm hand.
And it is for this that expensive out
fits have been purchased, great hard
ships endured, and, in many cases, re-
liable, though modest businesses and oc-
cupations have been surrendered
Meanwhile, the San Diego newspapers
teem with broadside advertisements and
the steamers of the International Com
pany plying between San Diego and En-
senada are loaded down at four fold the
! usual rates. All that the belated adven-
turer will have to console himself with
when he comes back with empty hands,
is the old saw, which in this case will
prove to be very modern instance,
that "a fool and his money are soon
parted"
THE State Prison investigation has de-
veloped the fact that in spite of the clear
I l. r y