Los Angeles herald., 1892-06-15

their flesh, while white men who have
eaten them aver that they are sweeter
than chickens. They are found on the
edges of Death valley, from Daggett to
the Needles, and also on the Colorado.
/ Tortoises or land terrapins are very nu-
merous too, many being found that
weigh as much as twelve pounds each.
These feed on cactus, and are not to be
despised as an addition to the menu.
MYSTERIOUS FAMILY.
Ash meadows, in the northeast part
of Death valley. already mentioned, is q
big alkali swamp, containing 1000 acres
of tule. Here are large bands Of cattle
belonging to man who furnishes beef
for the Montgomery mines. There are
fine springs in the vicinity. Some dis
tance from Ash meadows, in the de-
sert, is section called the
Indian creek valley. Here
man OF 80, his wife aged A. his beauti-
full daughter 10 years old and his son Of
IL have lived over sixteen years. The
old recluse never let's his family come
away from there and they have never in
all that time seen even as small place
as Daggett. He will give no motives
for keeping himself and his people go
secluded, and is not always cordial to
the rare visitors who find his desert
oasis. Out of bluff on his land there
rushes big spring which gives all the
water needed for irrigation, and he has
under cultivation 40 acres of garden
produce and alfalfa. Plenty of shade
trees make the place pleasant. His
wife and the children have tried every
means to escape from their irksome
slavery-for such it is, as this queer
genius believes with his red brother that
toll in the fields is only for women and he
keeps them ever at work in his fields,
but without avail. While the old man
and his son were out prospecting in the
mountains some time ago, mother and
daughter escaped with two burros and q
saddle horse, but when he returned and
| found them gone, he gave chase and
caught them forty miles away on the
| top of the Charleston mountains, where
the girl was sboeing the horse, prepara-
| tory to making the trip to Daggett. The
girl ie beautiful maiden, a splendidshot
| with the rifle, who can shoot hawks
on the wing, and she lassoes and brands
horses as easily as the best vaquero OF
| COW boy. The parents seem to be well
educated, and although they have not
impaired their knowledge to their chill
dren, the girl can read and write, but
che is self-taught. The mystery sur
rounding these people puzzles the few
| who have been in Indian creek valley.
JELLY AND ALUM SPRINGS.
Among the many curious things seen
by Mr.. Barton he related that in the
southwest part of Nevada in the Pera-
canut valley (the valley of water) his
party discovered spring in the noun
tains from which some substance re-
sembling jelly flowed. This stuff. of an
amber color, sank into the sand about
twenty feet from where it gushed forth.
The ground where it disappeared looked
creamy. This substance could be picked
up in the hands, and would quiver ex-
actly as does calfsfoot jelly. 1t tasted
salty and made horse that had
Tapped some up deadly sick. It had no
smell, and Barton was unable to con-
lecture what it was.
Another spring, some twenty miles
north of this, contained long alum crys-
tails below the clear water, that appeared
like trees. One of the party who sprang
into the spring for bath came out of it
in hurry, with his skin considerably
burned, and it straightway commenced
peeling off.
JET AND CEMENT.
Northeast of Death valley lead of
jet was discovered, and thirty miles
away from that, right past the proposed
railroad, mountain which ia believed
to be pure Portland cement. Should
this turn out correct there is a large for
tune in store there for him who shall To-
cate it.
BoRAX MARSHES.
On the return trip by the Carson and
Colorado railroad, the terminus of
which is now Keeler, the Columbus
borax marsh, in Nevada, adjoining Inyo
county, was visited. Also the Teal
marsh, fifty miles below it on the Inde-
pendence road, where it had once been
proposed by Senator Jones to build a
railroad. Here 200 Cinnamon gather
the dirt in the marshes and boil 1t.
After the borax is crystaliZed it is
hauled, ready for the market, to Candle
laria, where it is shipped by the cars.
There are thousands upon thousands OF
acres of borax there open to location.
SULPHUR MOUNTAIN.
+ Twenty miles south of Columbus,
which is mining camp situated near
the Teal marsh, Mr.. Barton saw sui
phur mountain, owned by an eastern
chemical factory, which is not worked
now, although 60 valuable, because the
lack ofitransportation facilities makes it
impossible. 1t is expected, however,
that the Salt Lake and Los Angeles rail-
road will begin tracklaying before long,
and when the road is completed it will
open up, so Mr.. Barton thinks, a coun-
try the possibilities Of which are not
even guessed at by the few who know