The herald., 1895-06-06
IS THOUGHT TO Be safe
San Diegans Believe General
Rollins to Be Alive
THE MISSING MANS TRIP
He Fitted Out for Prolonged
Stay
Destination Of the Gold Hunter Was Not
Disclosed and There Is lueh Specu-
Iation Regarding Him
Special to The Herald

Special to The Herald
SAN DIEGO, June 5.-The report in
yesterdays Herald of the dis appearance
of General H. G. Rollins, and the suppo-
sition that he hau been murdered either
by his Indian associates or outlaws in
Lower California, has caused considerable
comment here, and while all the indica-
tions point to his probable disappearance
the belief is strongly prevalent among
those who know him best in this city
that he is still on the prospecting tour
which he arranged for taking when last
here.
At the time he decided to leave Alamo,
with the evident inteltion of thoroughly
prospecting some rich locations which he
had heard of on the lower peninsula, he
came to San Diego Tor his outfit, and at
the Hamilton company, where he pur-
chased his supplies, he stated to David
Hamilton that it was his intention to be
gone for some considerable time. Since
then he has been in TIE city twice, and
each time stopped at the Commercial
hotel.
In all his conversation with parties
here about his intended trip he was not
known to specify the direction which he
expected to take, nor were his acquaint-
ances at Alamo or Ensenada taken into
his confidence. it seeming to be his de-
sire to keep this part of his business as
secret as possible, SO that no thought of
any harm coming to him had entered the
minds of his friends here at his prolonged
absence, it being generally supposed that
he would turn up again some day with
the account of where he had been and the
results of his trip.
AeiJ bo faC hot bo \, NJ hoor
heard from for. a few months. there is
nothing to positively indicate that he is
not safe, and from the best informa ton
to be obtained here it is believed that the
reports of his death, either from natural
causes or murderous attack, will yet
prove unfounded.
Old mining men who have had years of
experience as prospectors on the pen
insula when spoken to about the proba-
bilty of General Rollins never being
found scout the idea, as it is no uncom-
mon thing for miners and prospectors,
especially Americans, to take long trips
through the practically inaccessible
regions of Lower California, where for
weeks and months there is no possibility
of communication with the outside world.
and those who have gone through this
experience say that two or three months
is not considered long time to be away
from civilization.
mere dTe Uul lew IL any uulBcIS " De
feared in the interior of the peninsula,
aside from the probability of perishing by
thirst on the various deserts, and even
this is of rare occurrence. All the talk
about numerous outlaws and savage
tribes of is considered improb BILE here.
where the actual facts are known to be
different. The natives, both Indian and
Mexican, are comparatively harmless,
and have always been friendly to Ameri
cans, numerous instances being cited here
of their Willingness to lend any assistance
in their power to the few travellers who
have penetrated into even the remote re-
gions. Ii fact the first case has yet to
be reported of a traveller in that country
meeting with any trouble at the hands
OF the natives. unless the aggression has
come from the foreign party. For years
lone prospectors have tramped the penin-
sula from one end 20 the other. meeting
every tribe and type of natives, and the
general verdict is that they are excep-
tionally kind and hospitable. Whis sup
position of the general having been muir
dered has probably arisen from the old
tales OF these Indians knowing the secrets
of the ancient mines and never permit
ting white man to live if he made the
same discovery; but this has been proven
to be so imaginary that no one who has
ever come closely in contact with them
places the slightest credence in the time
honored legend.
Since General Rollins started on the
trip, the report was current here that he
was known to be on the way to Sonora.
Mexico. looking up mining properties
there, and it is quito possible that he
may be in the interior of Old Mexico at
the present time. Communication today
with Alamo failed to bring any further
facts TO light than those published in The
Herald. that the general had been there
before he left on this last trip, and that
he was believed to be on the main land.
1t is the general impression tnat If Cen
eral Rollins had met with any mishap
anywhere in the interior of Lower Cali
fornia it would have been known first at
Escondido or in this city, especially as
there has been an unusually large NUM-
Der of American prospectors out this sea-
sou, and some of them would have been
likely to run across such a rumor while
out among the natives as the general
was well known figure all over the low
er country. Now that this report of his
has been started, efforts
will be made by his friends here to trace
it up, and find out whether there is any