The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-08-15

ing in Los Angeles, and the
nows came across the country
a week or Two later from San
Bernardino that he had been there and
camp of several months in the mountains
and mule ride across the desert He had
at the last moment taken two old mining
chums with him and set out in the night.
1t is almost impossible to track a man
across a desert of ever-shifting sand, es-
pecially in the hot summer, so the several
thousand men who had made up their
minds and prepared themselves to follow
Peg Leg Smith back to his treasure find,
no matter what the hazard of death from
starvation and thirst in crossing the aw-
full desert, were forced to await the next
appearance Of the old fellow in the pueblo
Of Los Angeles.
From the time that Peg Leg" and his
companions set out from San BernardinO
nothing has ever been heard from the
prospector. Several years later the dried
and mummy-liSe remains Of the two men
who accompanied the old man, and the
skeletons of the mules and remains of their
wagons and mining tools We're found 10
miles out on the Colorado desert but not
one trace Of Peg Leg" IL is improba-
bic that he could have escaped from that
spot In the desert in September on foot
From that time to this there have been
periodical reports Of the finding of mines
that Smith told about The California
newspapers have annually had items Of
stories concerning the most recently re-
ported discovery of the peg Leg mines
But the alleged treasure is stiN awaiting
the man who viii disclose IL. Hundreds of
men have risked their existence and suf-
fered agony and pain In hunting for the
lodges. a score Of men have laid down
their lives on the desert and among the
mountains while seeking the enormous
wealth that such a property as Peg Leg
Smith described will surely yield.
Through two or three decades several
thousand miners in the Rocky mountains
have at different times been set wild with
reports of the actual finding OF the white
Cement" mine. The story of the discov-
cry of this mine and the struggles and
perseverance of the best prospeCtors all
over the west to locate the enormously
rich hedges is one Of the most romantic
and interesting IN the history OF mining
In the union. The white Cement mine
took It's name from yankee named
White He was a white-halred man Of
about 60 years when last seen. He was
a Young man I'm the California gold field
In 1850. and was a friend of such men as
Leland stanford, George Hearst and
Mark Hopkins. As a gold-seeker he was
known and talked about I'm every mining
camp on the coast and stories related Of
his phenomenal luck. He. no doubt, made
trampcd about with a lean mule and half
breed Indian boy getting grub-stake sup
plies where ne could Many people
thought he was slightly demented bat az
looked 40 to him. and he undoubtedly
knew more about the gold region than any
man living.
one day In 1850 White came into Horse
Head Gulch from the region OF Northern
New Mexico driving his mule and looking
utterly used up. He got something 90 eat.
ana then took out of his pack a number OF
pieces OF what looked like hard white clay
gntteung with specks OF metal but he said
little and went of Go an assayer. Ger
man named ielyat and an honest man.
Before night 81 was known IN camp that
whites specimens showed 1000 ounces to
The ton That meant about $1,000 ton.
IN Eve minutes every one
went crazy Nobody slept that
night. hut sat around the fires
lnd talked Cement" In the morning "a
party. headed by brother Of the mining
king of later date, James a.. Fair, called
on White, who was sleeping in ono 81 tho
"shnehs" no. was told in few words
that Do must pilot Che mon fo Dos dud. Doc
should have the pick of the claims ana
help 90 work BE-. hut so hc must. ANA Dn
hia refusal was warned that hia ne would