Los Angeles herald., 1890-06-20
A LONG TRIP.
SEVERAL MINERS TAKE A NOUN
TAIN JOURNEY,
They GO Up the Colorado River and
Spend Five Months in Prospecting in
Various Places.

Arthur Haskins returned yesterday
from long trip through the mountains,
and relates quite an interesting story of
his travels. He started in company
with Lawrence Gardner, Albert Johnson
and William Parsons, of Nebraska,
in search for mines, preferring
to find free gold ore. The three gentle
men accompanying Haskins joined him
at The Needles on their way, having
written him to San Francisco making
the appointment for their meeting on
the 26th of December last. They had
decided to start on their trip from The
Needles from some private information
received to the effect that there was a
probability of finding good ledges in the
range of mountains which skirt the Col
.orado river on the west and extend along
the east boundaries of San Benardlno,
Inyo and Mono counties. They knew of
the location of several claims in Mono
county and San Bernardino county, and
the reported lost mine in Death valley
had also been brought to their notice.
Mr.. Haskins left San Francisco on
December oath, expecting to arrive at
The Needles on the Goth. The heavy
rains at that time delayed his train, so
that he did not arrive at The Needles
until the 2Sth of December, and he
found that his friends had come to Los
Angeles, starting on the same day he
arrived. Mr.. Haskins returned to Los
Angeles, leaving word at The Needles
that he would be there again on the I'd
of January, in case his friends returned
before he found them. He met them,
however, in Los Angeles, and it was de-
cided to go to Yuma and start from that
point on their trip through the noun
tains.
At Yuma they purchased string of
eight burros to carry their outfit and
left civilization on the morning of Janu-
ary Sth. The first three days of their trip
they met nothing worthy of comment, but
on the fourth day they found that they
would either have to cross the Colorado
to it's east bank or else travel about thirty
miles out OF their way to get around an
immense ravine, that seemed to have
been cut in the rocky mountains di-
rectly across their pathway. Crossing
the Colorado at that time of the year
was not an easy matter, but they de-
ecided to make the attempt. Selecting a
point that appeared to be most
favorable for their purpose, they
launched raft, which they had
constructed out of such material
as they could find. They and their
burrows reached the middle of the
stream safe enough, but just as they
were floating diagonally down the river
toward the opposite shore their raft
went to pieces and it was only after
hard struggle that they succeeded in
reaching land. Two of their bur-
rows were drowned and nearly all of
their supplies were swept down with the
stream. They determined not to go
back, and for two days continued on
their way on the east bank OF the river.
The west bank appeared to be too
rocky and the cliffs too steep
to climb. About seventy miles
below The Needles they found an old
man with boat, who took them across
the river, and they struck over the
mountains into the interior. There were
mo trails in any direction, and they
spent nearly month prospecting over
the various spurs. At one time they
visited Monahan & Murphy's Black
Metal mine and obtained some provi-
,sions from some miners in that vicinity.
Then they went further west into the
mountains in San Bernardino county,
working gradually northward. They
= found plenty of small game, and in
several places took specimens OF
ore. which they think will pay
well if the mines are developed.
They crossed the Atlantic and Pacific
railroad track about six miles west of
The Needles and obtained, through some
parties they met, fresh supply of
canned goods and crackers. They struck
for the Providence mountains and spent
two weeks in exploring the caflons and
ridges in that vicinity. Then they
worked their way northward, passing by
tthe foot of Kingston peak, and reached
the Amargosa river leading into Death
valley about the 1st of May. Instead OF
going into the valley they turned to the
east and followed the mountains, where
they were certain of obtaining water. The
middle of Nav found them getting into a
very dry region, and they turned to the
west, striking the Nevada range near
Keeler. They then wound their way
around the southern shore of Owens
lake, spent several days in investigating
the character of the mountains there,
and finally reached Kern river, down
which they marched, reaching Lerdo
last week. They then came to Los An
geles, and Mr.. Haskins' friends left
Monday for their home in Nebraska.
Mr.. Haskins states that they brought
back with them small samples of min
erals found in a hundred and sixty
ledges they prospected. These samples
have been taken east by his friends and
will be assayed there. Some of them he
thinks will prove to be very rich in gold
and silver, and as they are all average
samples of ore he expects that the
mines, if developed, will prove richer
than the samples. He leaves tomorrow
for San Francisco and will return next
fall to go with his friends to a section
which he says he is satisfied is very rich
in minerals. He don't care to tell
d, where it is until the result of the assays