The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1894-09-09
may remain so for many a long year TO

|
come.
ragerly strange and tragic is the story
| OF the Lost Gunsight Ledge. in the sum-
ntr OF 1904 party Of imnisr r, rs rfaV.ieu
| Here they were persuaded TO follow what
| was kr own as the southern route IN pre-
| ference to the then more ir'quented on :
| farther north The route chosen TOOK
! them through Southern Utah, across the
| Colorado river and into the terrible ana
| then little known desert OF the same
| name. Their stock was 80 worn ana
| wasted that II was with serious misgiV-
| inRs the immigrants cssayed u GRO -
| the desert nd IN a few days reached tnc
| dreaTy waste Of Death Valley. one ID
one as they went on their worn horses
and oxen fcll by the wayslds 10 re 10
more, and enc by one they were lorc -
10 abandon their wagons. 1hcn HealI
and famine stole In among the niue DAM,
& nd the weaker ones. perisnirg IN ounce
succes son. were buried whore they ifl.
Finally the survivors scant stores "1I
exhausted and no water could be f9uHu,,
Within a month the party was redu,ra
% four men. But Their" was no tHai'
for retreat and though dyng ~ ~ We
the survivors pressed on toWdIp ~
southwest. one night while campIn- NJ,
q rocky ledge. one Of tho men Ii-l.D -
that the sight on the muZzie 81 NJ irs,
had been IN some way loos'heI a., - a. re-
Searching for something VITA y" -, IA,
place H. he noticed Whitsh me my
substance I'm the rock close az manu- ~ IL
securing a piece OF IL b" sp"'pli3 ~, -
out and fitted into his riile a A. o'"f f,lowin,
stitute for tn lOst sight ~ ''ti29
morning without paruculAIIS
the locality Of the camp We 'V"' 49,
resumed their tourney, di,"rirg ,r1 f',,,.
fallin& by the way died duIlhS tI" ~
loving week and the only Two survivor.
OF party numbering seVeiai nu't'I ~
souls. finally reached 5etle.lc" ~,
the IOs Angeles valley. ltrfe tnr '.@"i
,,.b.oh INC amateur CuuSmith la 4 cary rd
In the desert attracted the Afternoon
Of an old miner who at once prohg"N','
a. rure native silver. and e1E rlN IN
n,,ired whore II had been found. The man
told how (, had come into his poaseSs...on;
hnt aside from the fact that thor" sf'Il't
10 be an abundance Of the ore '"lih
Give only scanty Information as 70 ih
locality Of the ledge from Wnlrh II ntl
been taken. 4 careful computation OIL H.
number Of miles probably coVeIcH ~ '''
unfortunate men. together with reckon,
Ing os the number Of days they ,nbi
wandered aft.r leaving the camp, eha"i,l
a general idea to be formed 81 ihc P."D-
able location OF the ledgc. \ pr9slec C'r,,
party was at once organized and "a car"
ful search made for Nnat mas eve SUI.
been known as the Gun-Sight Ledge p'i
failure attended this first ,@itoEl rs eY W.
been made TO locate the rich deposit, ,ant
tho mystery surrounding the Fun-3lsht |
Ledge is still as close and inscruiaDIe a.
that Of the Lost Cabin Nine.
a more ancient and sun more peIPI'Ns |
ing mystery is that Of tnc Three iillls OF
Gold. Some sixty wears ago a party OF |
hunters led by q man bearing me nam !
~ 'Peglcg" Smith. were trapping on the |
head waters Of the colorado livcr !
They made their way down The colorado |
10 the mouth Of the ella and then struck |
westward over the Colorado desert, hop |
nG TO reach Los Angeles. on the third (
night after leaving the ella, the hunters /
pitched their camps rear three smali |
nils. Accident or idle curiosity, induced !
me Of the hunters TO mount TO the sum
nit Of one Of the hills. lie found Its
op covered with a mass OF dark colorei
,roken rock. plcntfully sprinkled win
hininR yellow particles Of varying size.
The presence Of gold in that section had
lot then been dreamed Of. but because Of
Is singular appearance. several pieces
# the rock were carried away bv the
hunters After the discovery Of gold in
$40. these specimens were examined by
IN expert who pronounced the yellow
PARTICLES TO be pure gold. Smith at once
organized an expedition and attempted
o rsdiscOver the hill NJ the base OF
which he and his companions had camp
d so many years before. Before reach
ng the desert. however. the horses be