The morning call., 1893-10-06
A VALUABLE FIND.
Discovery by Prospectors
in Inyo.
An Inexhaustible Deposit of Partially
Pure Nitrate of Soda Reported
Found.

Pleasing visions of untold wealth float
confusingly before ones vision when
listening to the tales of discoveries made
by a prospecting party which has just
returned from trip to the Armagossa
Valley. It is not in gold and silver alone
that the earth yields its greatest treasures.
but other mineral and many vegetable
resources are costantly being brought to
light, which at times develop into discover
les of great richness.
Tie party started from this city several
weeks ago under the direction of Colonel
W. S. Barton, who gained a good deal of
n0toriety In connection with expeditions
into Death Valley several years ago. With
him were several other men, among them
E. d. Wier of u Montgomery street. who
told a CALL reporter last night of the re-
suits attending their researches
''In the northeast portion of Inyo
County, this State." said he, ''in the Ar
magossa Valley we fonnd a deposit of nj
trate of soda, probably 160 acres of land
being covered with it. The deposit lies
upon the surface of the ground to depth
varying from five TO eighteen inches, and
a strange peculiarty about 1t is that when
it is removed another formation soon
it oOZes from the ground like water from q
spring, but of course not in the same de-
gree. When analyZed this deposit was
found to contain-varving with the differ
ent tests-from 90 TO 60 per cent of pure
nitrate of soda, and the manner in which
it comes freely from the earth renders the
supply practically ineXhaustible.
ABOUT TWO miles from this place we
found a sulphur spring, by the utilization
of which the impure elements may be
separated from the valuable parts and the
crystallized nitrate secured.
That section of country has, of course,
been travelled over before. but l attribute
the failure of people to locate our find
solely to the fact that in appearance it
looks almost exactly like a deposit of
alkaii. We could readily see it as it lay
white ana glistening in the sun while we
were YET some distance away, but discov-
cred It's true character only after we had
made partial analysis.
Besides this nitrate of soda we found
in our further marches quite large deposit
of pures alum and one OF kaOlin, but l
presume the most valuable, of course, is
the one / men toned first Our party had
no definite plans by which our action was
to be guided when we started out, but
simply intended TO search for anything
we could find in the way of mineral or
vegetable wealth.
n WUlCH Will, l. LUluk, UIdhG
our discovery more valuable is the fact
that the Nevada Southern Railroad, which
is now IN process of construction. will run
almos directly past where our claims are
located, thus affording us easy means of
communication with the business world"
Mr.. Weir also spoke guardedly bout
mysterious deposit of aluminium, but re-
fused to give any details about that partic-
ular portion of their discoveries. He said
that the proposition now was to return to
the locality mentioned in the course of a
few weeks, when they will take back with
them all the necessary appliances for fur
ther prosecuting their researches.
The value of the discovery may be in a
measure appreciated, If it comes up to the
represents tations of the prospectors, from
the fact that nitrate of soda Is worth at
wholesale over fifty cents pound.