Los Angeles herald., 1892-03-19
1t Proves to Be a Healthy
Place.
The Experience Of Mining
Expert.
He Destroys Many False Impressions
About the Region.
In Certain Months the Heat Is Excess
siye, But at Other Times the Gil
mate Is Good - How to
Reach the Valley.

Mr.. H. II. Morris, mining expert and
sprospector, who has just returned from
his second trip to Death valley and
vicinity, in an interview with one of the
HERALD's representatives yesterday,
gave the following account of the
region:
"Death valley has received its share
of attention OF late, but has been much
misrepresented by explorers and others.
Any one who visits there delights in the
reputation of the "dare devl'' act and
relates stories OF awful experiences, etc.
In truth Death valley, after you get
there, is hardly as bad place as the
Mojave desert. Old prospectors used to
be very fond of relating yarns in which
they claimed death and destruction
lurked in the very atmosphere of the
place of mystery, and heat in which no
living thing could exist, of wonderful
gold mines which were found but lost,
and for which men lost their lives in an
endeavor to rediscover. I claim" said
Mr.. Morris, THAT any man at all famil-
lar with desert or mountain life can
easily remember and find any particular
place in Death valley or any Of our
mountain ranges after having once Wis
tied the locality. 1t is quite ing ossible
to get confused or lost.
'7As regards prospecting, would not
advise any one to undertake the trip
during the months of June, July,
August and September. for after the
mercury is 140 degrees in the shade,
and at that time travelling is indeed
difficult thing, but the rest of the year
is simply delightful as regards the
weather. There is no place that know
of, unfavorable conditions considered,
where ones health can be 80 rapidly
improved and strength gained. Readers
OF the HERALD will be surprised to learn
that one lady, and the only one, from
the east, ever to visit the region. My
wife and little girl have been up in the
Argus mountains with me, and within
twenty miles of Death valley. We were
camping there for over six weeks. By
using Mr.. Searl's borax teams, of TWEEN
ty mules each, it requires four days to
reach Argus, but light team can do it
much faster.
"With two horse team and provis-
ions sufficient to supply three or four
men for one month, Death valley proper
can be reached via Mojave to Granite
spring, fifty miles; Windmill spring,
twenty miles; Lone Willow, in the
Slate range, twenty miles; Anvil springs
in Death valley, sixty miles. The val
ley proper can be reached in three or
four days, but it sometimes requires
six, according to weight OF the outfit and
strength of team.
''In nearly all OF the cafions OF the
mountains bordering Death valley, water
is found. There is a peculiar brush
known to desert men, found only in
these cafYons, which indicates water,
and by digging down, following the
roots, one can always find water, even
during the summer and dry season.
Panamint or Telescope mountains which
border the valley on the west and north
west are abundantly watered. very
nearly equal to any of the ranges near
Los Angeles. The height Of these
mountains varies from 5000 to $4,000
feet, and for several months of the year
they are covered with snow, so water
supply can always be relied on.
There is plenty OF wood for ordinary
purposes, and the settlements of Pana-
cessible. All OF the mountains abound
in mineral richness, and very little pros
pecting has been done.
ST predict that in the near future un.
told mineral wealth will be discovered in
the immediate vicinity of Death valley,
for every cafion and ridge shows very
rich indications. l recently found on
the top of Slate range, over which pros
pectors have passed at intervals for the
past forty years, a large body of copper
sulphates. free milling ore, running as
high as $500 to the ton in gold.
sIf men, instead OF following in the
wake of such excitements as that of
Creede, CAL, would only venture into
these unknown regions they would do
only favored few are the lucky ones.
1 hope to again see the state of Oalifor-
mia the mecca of the gold hunter"
Mr.. Morris will return to the valley in
about two weeks, and will undertake
the development of number of his
claims in that region.