The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1892-04-12
THE EARLY MINERS.
Gold Found by the Indians Of Cal.
ifornia.
Precious Nuggets Given by Them to tho
Pioneer Priests OF the Golden State
Tho Famous Old Silver Bell
! Mine.

.'Spealsing of old mines," said Charles
o. Brown to Il San Francisco Examiner
reporter, II have spent great deal of
time and money in hunting nm
clews. Out i'll the Silver Bell country +
can take you to a mountain SO full of
tunnels and shafts that. if they were in
! good and safe condition you could
travel through all day long and not
reach the end. A number of old-timers
nave visited it, and, judging from the
vast work done there SO long ago,
they concluded that great mine of
some KIND had existed there, which had
nkely been worked out MANY times
mas 1t been located, and though its
walls, roof and floor were carefully
scanned and sampled, the result, while
showing some gold, was discouraging,
assays showing from u trace up to sew,
eral dollars per ton.
MANY years ago talked with an old
Papago Indian about the gold and silver
mines. In burst of confidence he told
me that great many years ago, when
ne was very small boy, the Indians at
San Xavier del BAG made weekly trims
10 very rich gold mine. On Saturday
night they returned with the product of
their toll. The priest in charge of the
mission kept small table in front of
the altar, covered with white cloth.
upon which the pious toilcrs placed
their metallic offerings to the church.
This table was often covered with
golden nuggets, varying in size from o.
pea to ones fist, and it was "a rich sipht.
After the usual service the priest would
descend, and as he picked up each
precious piece he would proclaim the
name OF the donor and afterwards
would call them forward to receive the
special blessing of heaven. On the fol-
lowing Monday they would again take
up their march in q northwesterlv d.
rection for the mines, and for a very Iono
time this was repeated, until the priests
We're driven out of the country, when
they abandoned mining entirely.
| The old Indian had at one time rone
with the miners, who followed a we'll
beaten trail, toward the Silver Bell
country, and he saw them take out the
gold. He agreed to show me the place.
and, out of curiosity, I sent a man with
MIN one day. They went out to the old
mine L have spoken Of in the Silver
Bel country, and when they reached
certain gulch the Indian pointed to the
Top OF the mountain and said he would
lind a shaft there, covered with cat
claw bushes, out of which the most gold
was taken. The man found evervthinp
Just as the old Indian told him. but
long disuse had filed up the shaft until
it was nearly full.
II visited the mine afterwards, but
the work necessary to clean out the
shaft was too great and too expensive
to undertake, and it has never been
touched.
The formation is singular one, and
samples of white rock sent to California
We're pronounced an exceedingly fine
quality of kaolin, such as fine proclaim
ware is made of. Through it were
streaks of iron rust, and it is likely the
gold was found in them. Whether il
will ever pay for the necessary expen-
'sive exploration and prospecting is
quite doubtful, but there is gold to be
found there"