The Sedalia weekly bazoo. [volume] (Sedalia, Mo.) 187?-1904, 1890-02-11

any party, no matter how well armed
and provisioned, back over bis trail
to the silver mountain. Hundreds OF
silver mines have been discovered.
but the one thrown in the way of the
Georgians, when money was to them
no object and Off use, remains still
unknown"
This mine. perhaps mythical, per-
haps not, has led many prospector
into the vicinity Of supposed location
and has given rise to many a romance
of the coast.
IN DEATH VALLEY.
The party met with the greatest
suffering in Death valley, a name af.
terward given the region by Governor
BIaisdell, who on an expedition dis
covered there the bleaching bones of
nine men who had been of the original
party, had turned back. reconsidered
their move and were attempting to
cvertake the Jayhawkers. The valley
is a great depression much below the
sea level and with no fresh water any
where. As the cattle died one by
one they were eaten for food. Hot
saline springs and alkali lakes con-
tanned the only water for a distance of
nearly 100 miles. Their sufferings
wore terrible. The flesh of the cattle
was poison and for water they all
prayed. At last they came to a small
spring, christened then and still
known as Providence spring. 1t saved
slnes but but only t6Sfr i sh yes Of
before the mountains and their terrOrs
should be left behind.
And here occurred one of the most
pitiful deaths of the four during the
trip
I'VE could not eat the flesh of the
CATTLE" says Mr.. Cotton. Owe lived
on the hides boiled i'm the alkall wa
ter. After Christmas we had no food
but the oxen. A man named Isham
had been left behind, too weak to
walk and we too weak to assist him.
When Providence spring was discov-
cred, some of the men, strength re-
newed, went brsvely back for lsham.
They found that he had crawled fully
four miles on his hands and knees.
And he lay there in the alkali among
the bouIders stone dead, little more
than a skeleton"
DEAD AND INSANE.
Then Mr.. Cotton told of the deaths
of the three others who succumbed to
starvation. Old Father Fisher, as be
was known, was one, who fell as they
reached the top of a canyon after In
credible exertion. He expired with
out a groan. Another wos packed
nearly day on one Of the oxen wber
he too died, The cattle had gone one
by one until at the outside figuring,
food would last but four days more
if, indeed, what they were catinI
could be called food. The party ha'
been toiling YEARLY on toward tn
depression in the frowning mountain
range where the Sierra Nevadas an
the coast range came together. The
were without water, and tongues wer
dried and parched until speech was in
possible. Then they came tot spring
with water cecil and sparkling. Wi
liam Robinson, overcome by the Oh
coverv, could not quite reach tt
water. A canteen was filled and ca
ried to his lips. He drank-and thel
a sweet smile coming upon his draw
and pinched features, he sank bac
upon the rock strewn earth corpe.
Better his fate than that of Il
Frenchman in the party. Sho a fe
DAYS before, had become insane al
! wandered off during the night. r
{ teen years after, it is a matter OF b
tory. he was discovered captive In
: camp of Digger Indians. He was
stored to bis friends, but his reas
was hcpelessly destroyed. :,
! These bits of fact from the terri
tramp show something of the sutf
ing which the party endured. OFT
! final entrance upon plenty the h
e Mr.. Brier has said:
FL FOOD AGAIN.
10 Crossing the Inyo mountains
10 struck Walkers old trail, after crt
ot ing twenty miles of desert, and
= lowed it, finding grass and water. !
9. days later ge left this good coun
1t and travelled two days and mig
iy without drop of water. Our
ne terings were fearful. Our parcl
I'd tongues protruded from our mou
IL and we could not eat our jerked m
he At the end of that awful trip
found q muddy pool in a great
pression and lust beyond three {