The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1894-09-20
FATE OF GOLD HUNTERS.
Driven Insane BY thirst While seekins
Fortunes on the Colorado Desert.

Driven Insane by Thirst While Seeking
Fortunes on the Colorado Desert.
Misfortunes that I'VE overtaken 90
many wretche-- ,.esert gold hunters
seems to have no effect on other seelz
ers after fortune, says the Palm Springs
Coli correspondent Of the New York
Telegram. Perhaps no fate has been
30 sad as that OF the unknown proJ
pector who was carried into Yuma reg
Gently insane for the want OF water
and food. The unhappy man put In
an appearance with his nurse at the
romantic village OF Durmid on the.
Southern Pacific track. Durmid is iG
the heart OF the desert, and a few miles
from Salton. This and Volcano are the
dreariest spots In the world. For many
miles in the vicinity of Volcano Springs
nothing grows. The ground is treaoh.
erous, for under its seemingly firm ex-
terror are boiling mud wells. There
is shelter for neither beast nor bird.
Even the miserable sage brush gets no
hospitality from the lean soil. A pitt
iless sun by day and hot wind by
night greet the travellers who cross the
desert In their hunt for gold deposits.
Here the prospector first brought HIM
self to notice by asking for shovel.
GIVE got dead burro out yonder," he
remarked, gazing to the west, land I
want to bury it."
The shovel was given HIM and away
he started. He came back some time
after and said he had buried the car
cass some six feet under the ground. 1t
was considered strange at the time,
as no one here ever thinks of burying
an animal. The dry air desicates the
body as completely as If it had been
subjected to the heat of an oven. He
hung about the section house for few
hours and then left for Durmid, where
he mentioned his loss. There he stayed,
refusing ell offers Of food, but picking
up his subsistence from such food as he
could And about the place-dry bits Of
bread, which even coyote would haye
scorned, he ate greediiy. Then he
asked for a shovel and announced his
intention to dig up his donkey, as he
had found sovereign remedy against
death. The shovel was given him, and,
though the beast had been intsfssd
three or four days, the crazy Maa dls.
saying that the donkey Tefused e ses
u Shfdh fh.g nys. e., Ths pss IS ss0tlSa Pss s
their hands and feared he would die,
as he refused food. The conductor Of
freight train was ordered to take him
into Yuma, and essayed the task. Tho
wretched man would run like a deef
from his captors, Offering violence to
Sss rs s:s s:sss sSaS R|s !Es ae
"Look here, the superintendent
wants to see You In Los Angeles and
pay You for the donkey you lost"
"If that is what you Want me for I'll
come" he answered, land if you PROM
ise not to.tie me up I'll be quiet"
He was taken into Yuma, but all eff.
forts to discover his identity proved un.
availing. A shorc time previously
another man came into Durmid ravin6
mad. His tongue vas black, his eyes
rolled and glittered and he was In the
direst extremity. Water and food ju-
diciously administered saved his lie,
Though bis new fund friends begged
him not to follow the fascinations OF
gold hunting he refused to listen to
reason, scorned TIL kindness Of section
men, upbraided them for being slaves
and working for wages, and continued
lis hopeless qu2st Of Elusive gold
| Ields.