The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-01-10
RANDSBURG'S BIG BOOM.
.r sT1MPEDF TO THIN GOLD
Ems IN the MOJAYE DESERT.

.~,r,...e. The Rush to Tombstone s.s
,o,,pue. 60 Grow-A City or Several
rs.,...d where There Was Only n
"a waste Last ss.nsr-niE For
80. That Have Hees Made There.
,.,oS. Cal, Jan. o.-There has not been
IN general and Intense interest In any new
- mining Geld In the Southwest for more
-, ,vsn,y YEAR, - there 10 throughout CALI
80 and Arizona to-day In the lodges Of gold-
,.,rIrv rock that are developing at Randsbrre.
r,.v., wears ago all the miners In this region
..,, excited over the newly found gold quartz
-,rs. in HsrquaSHala Mountains in north
~..,orn Arizona and along the Colorado River.
e.xsr,I thousand men of all ages aud aasses
,h.n quit shops, stores. Offices. and homes to
,n.h across tho country to Haroua Hala only
% And that the few valuable mines had been
located before they had heard OF the ind. TIE
.,,mp,de to Tom In 1878 10 famous In the
annals OF American gold mining. But In spon-
,,n.lty and intense eagerness there has never
h.en such a rush OF men and youths to new dig
sinss In this region as that to Randsburg In tho
last few months.
Four months ago the region was known BY
,,rer than 500 people. To-day one may go
where he will In California and Arizona, and
tho one topic he will hear under discussion 10
the prospect At Randsburg. tho possibility of
,,ill further finds of rich ledges In that region.
the value NJ ore that has been taken from the
mines. and the chances there are at Randsburg
for old experienced miners or for novices. The
railroad bill boards At all stations hang heavy
with circulars and bills of about
the new mines. Tho local newspapers publish
columns Of tho latest news regarding the de-
yelopment Of the gold ledges and Of the growth
--- - -
read and reread several times, and passed from
hand to hand. sample chunks OF gold-speckled
ore from Randsburg are exhibited in the win
dows Of jewelry stores In San Francisco. Los
Angeles, and other large towns In California.
There has never been such n study of mans
OF the desert region OF the Golden State before.
and the dullest schoolboy In California now can
locate Rand sburg In the Mojave desert without
ssecond's thought. In the hotels. on the streets,
along the country roads, and on the railroad
cars. Que hears Randsburg mentioned n score Of
times q day. and every one knows we'll tho
stories OF how this or that man, who was q poor
walter. or a hard-up bartender. or n discouraged
transfer In Kern or Los Angeles county six
months ago. Is now selling rock from n mine at
Randsburg at the ratio Of $500 or more q day.
Mining prospectors have come from as far away
~ Butte City. Mon. and Guatemala to try their
luck IN tue new Htlu. Nuiic nuuuTtus "OTc uANo
parted with the proverblal shirts on their backs
to get money to carry them TO Mojave station.
whence. laden with shovels, picks, and cooking
utensils. they tramp Atty miles to Randsburg.
The new gold mining town was named from
the Rand group OF mines. which were named by
the original finders OF gold quartz Whereabouts
after the Rand OF South Africa. The town IL
situated. according to the United States survey
lines, In section IS, township 30 south. range 40
east, Mount Disblo meridian. at an elevation Of
$500 feet above sea level. In less exact Ian
gusge. one would say that Randsburg lies nifty
two miles northwest of the Southern Pacific and
the Atchison. Topeka and Santa Fe railroad
station Of Mojave on the Mojave Desert. The
only way OF getting to and from the town 10 by q
stage from Moiavs or from another railroad
station Of Kramer In the same region. hut hun
dreds Of poor meA. consumed with anxiety to
set to the new diggings with all speed. have
walked the dfty miles across the desert sands
from the nearest railroad point. Every day adds
to the population of Harrisburg. All the stages
arrive crowded with eager men, and there arc
few departures. In November some LOO men
dropped their daily pursuits. left home and
shops. and went to Randsburg. In December
tie number was increased by z, 100. and the in
dicattons are that ere January passes fully
$500 more men and youths will have gone to
The new mining town. II the enticing reports
OF the finds OF more collaborating lodges con-
time and the dazzling sales OF mining proper
ties keep up 1t Is more than probable that
Harrisburg will have q population OF 1000 or
5000 men and a few hundred women before
next April. A large number of the old-time
miners In southern California and Arizona be-
l!eve that another Tombstone has been found
and all are sure that IL sufficient water for min
Ing DJrnOsek can hA fnund and dsveinn.i
Nsndshrrs will be a second Cripple Creek.
40 other mining town In southern California
has Grown 50 fast as Randsburg. the news Of
Tue wealth OF the Rand mines went abroad last
.tptrniOer. when in one week the returns from
ons sInelier Ia san Francisco. where the gold
ore was shipped from Randsburg, amounted 10
s2s,2OO. and from Sept. II to Sept. - ran up to
$3.50. This was from two mines that were
yust nelhg opened. How the Information ever got
out Is one OF the UNRELIABLE features Of now Dig
gihEs. Tor The four men who owned the property
were experienced miners, and had taken every
possible precantIon to keep their newly found
iiehes a secret among themselves. But any
now, Tie Information that lodges. which had
teen passed as worthless by hundreds Of
ptospectors tor over forty years, had been
i,and very rich, did get abroad. and by one
every region OF gold and silver miners. IL went
ssMt,y through southern California. The
he%spspers were then in . red-hot campaign.
ana but Few facts about the new mines were
puoIlshed; Nevertheless, there began . stam-
pee Tor handsburg. ana before the middle of
october there were more than 200 men on the
scene. When November came the number had
grown TO $500. The heat In the region was
seNere IN September and October. and on many
oaSs the t-mberature rose To no. In the shade.
Aan sometimes to llS'. Tn. only food obtain
so!s was canned meats, vegetables. stale bread
SUITS, ana pork and beans.
Inc not alkaii sandy waste for miles and
mnes ABOUT the Rand mines were trAversed
we by ardent, restless prosprctors. Every
.ahon within 100 miles OF the Rand Lodges was
teatohed through and through. every protrud-
ns Hnck aEd every hammock OF rotten granite
Nns o!hstrd or aug open IN the eager search for
sr.hs OF gold quartz. A few men died OF hun
erahd MI alton on the desert.
belose November some 500 mining claims
we're posted In the RandsburR district Up Ia
ua.e some 1900 mining claims have been made
~ Tue locality. An area OF some fifteen miles
S3uhre has been posted with mining claims
,ahy o' them are absurd for mining locations
w ABOUT seven out of ten have been made by
Ieisohs who have never even been In n mining
aeE'oh before. Many claims have been AOan.
upned a week after they have been made.
ihlhreem months Harrisburg had changed from
~ OF the most dTeary, remorseless deserI
tastes 70 as lively n mining town as there II IN
,,Sone' "a 1870, or tho Comstock, In 1899; for In
muse nays there was no railroad cOmmunicn'
,Om 70 hd IN u rapid growth OF the mininI
nWhs Whether Randsburg will grow to th,
inheritance OF either Cripple Creek or Lsadvill,
1epehds upon the continued success of the newl,
touhu prospects there. and the finding OF watel
az nuInelemt quantity to operate the minei
geographically.