The herald., 1894-01-10
THE WRATH CT THE SANDS,
The Searches for the Lost
Pegleg.
s. H. Pratt Believed to Be
Dead.
W. @. Land Tells Some Awful Ex-
periences of Desert Expeditions.
A Wife's Very Great
Anxiety.

San Francisco Chronicles The story
in the Chronicle yesterday, wired from
Los Angeles, stating that S. H. Pratt OF
this city had probably died on the
desert while searching for the Pegleg
mine, elected much interest and ankle
ty among his friends. Until day or
two ago Mrs. Pratt, wife of the missing
man, has been living at the Oliver
house, on the corner of Pine and Mason
streets.
When a Chronicle representative
called yesterday it was stated that she
had gone to visit sister at Red Bluff.
Mrs. Leach, the proprietress of the
house, ia a sister-in-law of Mrs. Pratt.
The story told there is that Mrs. Pratt
had been for months in anything but a
composed state OF mind regarding her
husbands absence. She had not heard
from him in months, and then only by
one or two letters received from him
soon after going TO search for the mine
last March.
The lady, however, it was stated, had
all along held to the belief that Mr..
Pratt would turn up. There were no
tangible facts to base IL on.
W. G. Land, the well-known cattle
man OF Southern California and Arizona,
who, during his 40 years residence, has
made many trips in the desert, knows
it probably as thoroughly as any man in
the staue. He is now at the Russ house.
and to the Chronicle representative
stated that he was well acquainted with
John Lang, the cattleman OF Salton, who
was quoted at Los Angeles as having last
seen Pratt several months ago.
Lang, it will be recalled, told that he
bad met Pratt, talked with him and car
ried him from q point IL miles from
Indio to a place ON the desert 20 miles
from Walters station. Lang also told
that he was not feeling well and was
constrained to put back, but finally
struck off afoot toward the ledge of lith-
ographic rocks to find the gold mine.
II know John Lang very well" said
Mr.. Land, land have known him for
years. He is an old cattleman who has
travelled and handled stock from Wash
ington to Mexico. l consider him
thoroughly reliable, and anything he
saws | would believe. When he con-
cludes that Pratt is probably dead,
should say he had very good ground
for it..
II have been all over the desert from
Indio to Indian Wells. The region
where Lang last saw Pratt is the very
worst on the desert. There is no water
in the immediate vicinity and if there
was Pratt might travel days, if he could
endure that long, and not find it. He
might go within hundred yards OF O
spring and not see it. The reason is
that where there is aspring it is nothing
but small hole in the sand. L know
of many cases where men were within
this distance of water and yet did moi
find it.
"Two years ago last March l was my
self out on the desert in this way and
went two days and nights without
water. 1t was at the time of the Saltor
freshet, and was endeavoring to move
my cattle. was at Indio and had tc
get to Indian Wells, 120 miles distant
| was on horseback with two compan.
ions. We had been told that the dis
tance to water was but 40 miles. We
soon found this was wrong, but could
not turn back. So we had to make q
terrible ride of it and keep riding or &c
under for good.
''There is no question but we would
have died if We had not DETECTED from
our original course and, luckily, reached
water. We went by way OF Viacete
finally to Warmers ranch and got water
in the Timber mountains, after the Ions
period of which L speak. We were all
very badly used up, as we'll as oui
horses. After we got water we began tc
recover, and made a dry camp, and
after resting for several hours we came
on through. 1t was terrible siege, and
l do not want to go through it again.
II have no faith in Pegleg mines oi
Lost Cabin mines. They exist by the
dozen in every western state. Good
mines don't get lost. l have been in
California 40 years, and in the early
days, as we'll as since, if man found g
good mine he always knew where to find
it afterward. The trouble with these
lost mines is that they always were lost
and if they are ever found they will be
found for the fret time.
II should judge from Mr.. Lsng's
statement, and what l know of him
that the fortune-hunter, Pratt, has
probably died on the desert. AS said
the region in which he was last seen il
the very worst of all. Then he was ap
parently unwell. 1t will be wonder il
he is ever heard of again."
Mrs. Pratt's friends intend communi
eating with the old cattlemsn, Lang
whose ranch is few miles from Salton
to learn, if possible, more details about
Pratt. There is water where Lang is
but none at all where Pratt struck out
to find the lithographic rocks and golc
minA nor anv in that vicinitv