Los Angeles herald., 1892-02-23
THE PEGLEG.
An Attempt to Solve a Des-
ert Mystery.
The Expedition to Find the
Lost Ledge.
A San Franciscan Thinks He Has
Clue.
The Personnel of the Party-They Ex-
pect to Find an Eel Dorado
The Plans of the
Expedition.

her party OF four persons who are
starting on trip with their lives in
their hands. They go, like the hardy
adventures of '49, in search of that
yellow metal by which SO many brave
men have lost their lives. But as times
are now different, go will be the trials of
these men. The pioneers encountered
most of their hardships in crossing the
plains, but at their destination found
veritable Ell Dorado. These men will
begin their trip by pleasant voyage,
and will only commence to encounter
hardship when they reach the vicinity
of the object of their hopes.
The leader of the party is Thomas L.
Doran Of this city, whose adventures
and narrow escape from death on the
burning wastes of the Colorado desert in
search of the lost Pegleg mine were
related in the Chronicle of August I'd
last. 1t is to make second search for
that long sought deposit that the party
has now started. After the article
referred to appeared Doran received
letters from all over the United States
from persons who desired to go with
a party headed by him in another
search. He refused all offers, fearing
the result of such partnership with
strangers.
In addition to the stories of frequent
temporary locations of the Pegleg mine,
as related in the Chronicle of April 9th
last, and the other knowledge Doran
possessed regarding it, he obtained
much further valuable information. One
old miner furnished him with the trac-
ing of map of Pegleg Smiths trip
across the desert when he first discov-
cred the mine which bears the nick
name of the old trapper. The location
of the mine was marked on this rough
map. This location agrees with the
idea Doran had formed after his first ex-
ploration.
The belief that he now knows about
where the ledge is situated was further
strengthened few weeks ago when Do
ran received visit from George Mont
gomery, who year ago discovered the
long-lost Breyfogle mine in Southern
Nevada, which was almost as famous
as the lost Pegleg. Doran considers
Montgomery one of the best and most
intelligent miners whom he ever met,
and was delighted beyond measure to
find that after a careful study of the
data at hand he had arrived at the
same conclusion as himself with regard
to the location OF the mine.
Doran no longer hesitated, especially
as reports show that over dozen par
ties started for the desert in search oil
the mine after the publication of his ad-
ventures in the Chronicle last August.
He accordingly disposed of his business
and began getting party together for
the trip.
The brave men who are now going to
ferret out the long hidden secret of the
fabulous wealth of the 'three little
hills of gold' therefore started Yesterday
on an expedition which may make
them millionaires, or on the other hand
cause them to leave their skeletons
bleaching on the hot sands of the desert,
as SO many. have already done in the
same search. The party consists of
Thomas l.. Doran, John X. Bell and
George Curtis of this city and H. l..
Forrest of New York. Thomas l.. Doran
is native of Adelaide, Australia, near
ly SO years of age. He came to San
Francisco with his parents in 1870 and
has lived here and in Redwood City
ever since. He is landscape gardener
by profession, though he has been in
the saloon business for several years.
He is powerful man, both in body and
constitution, and we'll able to stand the
terrors of the desert. Equally as
toughened is his partner, John K. Bell,
who is an American, native of Rhode
Island, and 40 years of age. Bell is a
practical miner, having followed that
vocation nearly all his life. He has had
experience all over this coast and in
Montana, Arizona and Colorado mining
districts. He now owns a mine in Sole
dad cafion, Los Angeles county. H. l..
Forrest came on from New York to
join the party. He undertakes the
trip to build up his constitution, and
for whatever enlightenment he can as a
young miner find in it. He is but 23
years of age. Mr.. Forrest will not par
take In the heavier explorations. George
Curtis accompanies the party as cook,
and will do all the work about camp, so
that Doran and Bell will have their en-
tire time for prospecting, and be able to
rest when they return to camp.
On reaching San Diego the party will
fit out for the desert. They will take
two teams, four mules and eight or ten
burros. The mules will haul the wagons
AVN SahP W CdHp, Wuil6 b0G DurTOb
will be used to carry water and provis-
ions on trips of a week or so from the
headquarter camp. Leaving San Diego
the party will follow the old Yuma road
to the desert, and will then strike out
northward to Carrisa creek, where the
headquarter camp will be located and
provisions for six months stored. From
Carrisa creek Doran and Bell will ex-
plore the country in radius of about
forty miles to the northwest and north
east, in which section they are confident
the Pegleg mine lies. 1t is their inten-
tion to make a clean securing of this
portion of the desert, and to settle for
all time the existence or non-existence
OF the famed lost mine. In his former
exploration Doran demonstrated that it
was not to the south of Csrrisa creek.
The Pegleg mine is not the only OBJ
lect of the trip, however. Should
Doran fail to discover the lost gold ledge
ne is confident of locating a valuable
tin deposit, as he found many indica-
tlons OF that mineral on his former trip.
He also came across many small deposits
OF copper and borax, but did not try to
nnd the principal vein. Gold float was
also found in several places.
Even though there be an utter failure
so far as discovering the lost mine, the
trip Will have result of great value to
the country at large. Doran is practi-
cal boranist and will make a study of all
the vegetation in the different parts of