The Logan County banner. [volume] (Logan, W. Va.) 1889-1903, 1892-02-18
HUNTING FOR GOLD.
Hardships OF the Men who Risk Ever
thing in the Search.

HUNTING FOR GOLD.
Hardships OF the Men who Risk Every
thing in the Search.
1t is scarcely to be wondered at that
gold-hunters frequently become insane.
All classes Of men join in the search
for the elusive yellow metal Deserters
from the army, men who have grown
tired of ranching, clerks, sailors and
reformed tramps. The number of enor-
mously rich mines that have been mys-
teriously lost in this more mysterious
desert is the incentive. Up and down
the desert do these men go, some Of
them well equipped with teams and
wagons, others riding mules, and there
are some foolhardy enough to essay the
perilous adventure on foot The fierce
heats of summer, nor the cool nights OF
winter, do not deter them. They are
all eager, keen and suspicious. Brave,
they naturally must be, to penetrate
into the most inhospitable wifds in
search tterint5 s-shadew.
Nothing seems to daunt them,
continual failure appears but to
provoke fresh courage, and when once
the passion has taken hold Of man to
discover mine, nothing but death will
makeshim relinquish the attempt
These men are generally very one
sided. They have eyes, ears and under
standing for nothing else but~gold or
silver indications There is one pros
pector on the desert a notable escep-
ton, man called Ed Holland poet,
philosopher, mine owner and store
keeper. Some strange allurement DIRE W
him away from civilization, and sinee
the delirium of mine-owning seized
him he takes only passing interest in
other matters.
Prospectors are difficult people to get
information from. They delight in the
mysterious and the mystifying. They
all have had hair breadth escapes from
the Indians and woeful marches when
assailed by thirst There is CHEEKY
feeling about them that they will one
day meet with sudden and painful
deaths on Some exploring expedition,
but SO long as there are signs of the
existence of gold will the prospector
push on. There are several gallant
specimens of this class to be seen in
Yuma. who recuperate there before
they start again on some perilous jour
ney. Their tales will always fetch
around them an audience, and with
back against the bar and foot on rail
the trials and troubles of their weary
wandering are forgotten in the blaze
of popularity. Nothing pleases the old
miner so much as to speak of past dam
gers and prospects of success.
"You remember young K" one will
say; well, he lived with the Injuns
down the Rio Grande, and got as thick
as thieves with them. Guess he doc
tored one OF Thorn, for he had pile of
patent medicines with him. He got to
talk their language purity well, aud one
day one big Injun says to him: Look
here, If you promise never to tell where
we take you aud promise never to come
back again we will show you where
there are heaps of gold OF course K.
consented and the Indians took him a
journey of several days, and he
gathered up thousands of dollars. He
would never say where he got the coin,
but know he got it, for saw the GER
tificate. Why didn't he come back?
oh, because the Indians would kill him,
that i, why"
Then another will tell the story OF
hoy poor young fellow got lost on
the desert, and, seeing three hills, he
climbed one to observe, and down at
his feet he saw huge humps of gold as
big as his head He emptied
his saddle bags of all superAuous
luggage and piled away as much
gold as he could carry. He eventually
found his way to Los Angeles Though
he took most careful observations. yet
he was never able to re-discover this
wondrous mine.
Again, another white man who lived
she would show him to very rich
mine, or rather have relative-of hers
do so. They journeyed for three days,
and then the women grew-alarmed and
would go no further.
Then there is another mine due east
Squaw," which has attracted many
prospectors, but she, too, has been a
coy mistress, and has so far concealed
herself from the prying gaze of hun
dreds of seekers.
All these stories have but one ending.
well, one day some fellow who least
suspects it will stumble on this mine,
and then he will rank with the richest
men in the world. Chicago Ledger.