The herald., 1893-12-26
TWO MEN LOST IN A DESERT,
An Occasional Experience in
the Wild West.
They Go One Hundred and Seven
Miles Without Water.
A Memorable Experienoe-some Fine
Mines Described-An Interesting
Visit to tho Indian Res
orvation School.

Special correspondence to the HERALD.
MARVEL, Dec. 2S,--With good team
and wagon, in company with L. &.
Stanchfield, left Marvel. the termin.
us of the Nevada Southern railroad, on
the morning OF the 9th inst, and, hav.
ing Cotton wood Islard, Colorado river.
as our objective point. we travelled by
way OF Vanderbilt and camped at Cross.
mans spring, in the vicinity OF the
the Murphy mining district.
Murphy is gold producing camp,
situated 20 miles to the north of the ter.
minus of the Nevada Southern railroad,
in Lincoln county. Nevada. Murphy
district is to the experienced mining
man plain, simple and distinctly writ
ten book, indexed by the prominent
features. indicative OF precious metals
and true merit.
The general character OF the country
or formation-the gneissoid, quartzsey,
porphyry, blue porphyry, surface
planed oxide OF iron, etc. ARE such as
are very commencing and suggestive OF
great possibilities.
1t is new camp, but little developed
by means of shafts and tunnels, exposing
the mineral at depths OF from 20 to ITO
feet.
The W. A. Phelps & Sons group OF
slx claims is property of large promise.
Within the boundary lines OF the six
claims there are IL distinctly traceable
veins. including the larger ledgee upon
which development work is being prose.
cuted. The work consists principally OF
shafts, varying in depth from 20 to ITO
feet, which have exposed at the greatest
depth attained, well defined vein and
body OF high grade gold ore, varying
from three inches to three feet in width,
and, as 10 positively stated by the owner,
the ore has an average gold value OF $50
per ton.
THE LEGAL TENDER NINE
Is situated in the immediate locality OF
the Phelps group, and is surrounded by
similar natural laws, the cause and
effect of which are impressive and favor
able of mineral wealth. Mr.. A. H.
Stephens, one OF Colorado's long ex-
perienced and efficient mine experts, is
the superintendent OF the m n
Mr.. Stephens is evidently conserva-
tive gentleman, with = fixed purpose of
legitimate mining, and unlike many of
the mining fraternity, the owners OF
good property. he cares nothing for
publicity of his property, but with
effeCtual and beneficial views his efforts
are directed to absolute proof of perma-
nency of mine and quantity and quality
of ore.
In two shafts, respectively 81 and 20
feet deep, sunk at q distance of 80 feet
apart on the ledge, has been exposed to
view an unusual body OF high-grade
free-gold ore. The body of ore from top
to bottom of the shafts var from IS
inches to feet and averages - in gold
per ton unassorted, and including all
material between the walls, which are
of unusual uniformity.
From an accurate investigation of the
relative proportion of the metals in this
camp, they are ascertained to be as fol-
lows: Seven ounces gold, 2ls ounces
silver and 7 to Is per cent lead.
Leaving Murphy we crossed a low
range OF mountains, and travelling four
miles we arrived at the Cornucopia
group OF mines. consisting of four full
sized claims, the north and south exten.
sion OF Cornucopia, and separate loca-
tion to the west. This property is
owned by Messrs. J. U. Miller, w. A.
Mcfarland and E. w. Spalding, who
have developed the property by incline
shafts and open cuts to the depth OF 6S
feet. 1t is property having marked
evidence OF future greatness. 1t con-
tains immensely rich ore, running as
high as 2500 ounces of silver per ton. In
the dump of this mine there were 70
r., rs xafv fD
OF silver.
But at this juncture / hope l may be
permitted to say that while standing
upon the dump pile, should-be monu-
ment OF wealth, pauEed to reflect, and
in sympathy with the owners of this
property l mentally asked the cause Of
the profound silence that prevails in
and around this should-be largely pro-
ducing property. No sound of the ham
mer, the ringing drill or booming blast
is heard, but like the deserted village,
the silver in its cells silently sleeps.
l have no ability to deal the deserved
condemnation to the perpetrators whose
acts have driven from existence this and
thousands of other valuable properties,
and thereby locked from circulation
millions of dollars to the sacrifice OF
thousands OF the toiling poor, as also
the progress of all branches of business.
Travelling in an easterly direction FIVE
miles we enter beautiful graes clad
valley of great extent. Its length is
possibly 55 by 7 to Is miles in width.
1t is dry valley, waterless, but from
the great extent of watershed and the
large extent of water weed strewed
along the we'll defined arroyo, passing
through the center of the valley, no
question should be had of the certainty
OF procuring water by boring.
The moet striking features of this val
ley are its numerous varieties OF superior
grasses growing on the upper end of
the valley and adjacent to sloping hills.
The varieties OF grass, as growing densely
over territory OF 900 to 20, 600 acres
OF land, embrace the gaieta, r,esquite,
black and white gammar grasaes, and is
situated within 25 miles of the N. S. r.
R. survey.
1t WAS at the southeast border of this
pasture land that we became dubious
about the course We were travelling, and
having heard of Mr.. Kile's stock ranch,
it was thought best that | should 70 on
foot to the ranch for information. while
Mr. Stanchtield remained with the
team. Accordingly | took a run to the
the ranch and procured complicated
diagram OF the route to he travelled to
Cottonwood island. found the dis
tance to the ranch to be IL miles travel
ing each way, and as the night had APP
preached, we made dry camp.
With the sketch as obtained from Mr..