The silver lance., 1897-08-13

TN CV with gold nuggets
fGrH and sometimes II
~ is a diamond mine.
Around the newly-found gold mine IL
beard the old story of the dying Mex
,an. who attempted to reveal the site
but died in the attempt. This givee
the local coloring,,' the schemers
send oct prospectors who dig hoie
Nnd secretly bring valuable ore uon'
A genuine mine. and bury it. When u"
gold ore is dug up the richness Oh the
mine is proved-to the satisfaction Vi
the Western investor, and he buys the
hole in the ground. After this sche1he
has been worked a while there Is
iull and when the robbers have peen
forgotten by the public a ne" 1851
Mexican mine is discovered. the sanie
old game is now being playeA in the
Mojare Desert, for the benefit ef the
wise men of the East, many CT whoh
seem to believe that gold grows az
the flowers that bloom in the prihg'
The false reports of these schening
bunco men bring out a number Oh
prospectors. restless mining men VINO
are ever hunting for the rlcn heias'
which. like the mirage they often seq
in their wanderings, is ever beyoho.
They trudge along ever the sandy
trackless desert and when their provis-
ions are exhausted they sink from ex-
haustion, thirst and hunger and die on
.he burning sands.
These false reports have whiteneo
the desert with the bones of thoL sands
OF prospectors, besides causing the
financial ruin of many zoo con iding
Investors. One of the Inost gigantic
schemes ever perpetrated in the far
West was the Great Diamond Swim
die" of quarter of a century ago. Il
was hutched in San Francisco, with
portion of the plot in Kentucky. TEs
San Francisco conspirators secured the
aid Of a Kentucky gentleman" ons
Colonel Harpending." Some OF then
purchased in London a few bushels oil
crystals from the South Africa dia-
mond fields, and, under the guise OF
prospectors. visited u remote portion
of the desert. The expedition was con-
Quoted secretly and at night these d:a-
monds were planted" in district Of
several acres.
The schemers returned, located the
and as mining and mineral LANDS ana
then kept quiet for several months.
Finally they sent out a prospect
Ing" expedition to uncover the stuff.
as detectives would say.
Reports OF the discovery of diamonds
In the sands of the desert soon reached
San, Francisco. The conspirators
shrewdIy circulated the reports, vet
hor II If
the facts. Specimen finds were exhih-
tied by experts and reported to be Of
the "purest rays" The city was thrown
into a fever of excitement and specui9-
;ion ran high. Many sold their mining
properties at sacrifice, thus bearing
the market and running otiieis. anu
many mortgaged real estate and h } ises
In order to buy stock in the dian ond
ields." Millionaire spectators ae-
companied some of the spectators to
The fields, and with spade they bur-
rowed r the sands and turned uD dia.
morGs. So plentiful were they that
by digging with a pocket knife dia-
monds were found. Some of these were
worth from 800 to $500 each. They
mad been carefully planted and locat-
Eu ny --fS COASpil anu tliCSt OC-
casional rich finds led to the belief that
there must be many others. One man
Jnearthed about quart of these crys-
lals greatly resembling diamonds, and
among them were several genuine
stones. There could be no doubt about
that-the millionaire's own expert was
On the ground and sew the diamonds
Nken from the earth and pronounced
them TO be without a flaw.
But the expert and the millionaire
we're both deceived-as to how the dia-
monds came to be there. The million
hires took $50 GOO worth Of stock On
heir return to San Francisco the ex-
.itement grew into frenzy. Even the
ate W. g. Ralston, then cashier of the
Bank of California, was a victim. Il
s believed that he invested s10o. 900.
Finally there was a quarrel amcnk
he conspiratoIs as to an equitable di-
'ision. fer there is no such thing a.
honor" among a certain class. The
diamond bubble burst, the conspiracy
vas exposed. In the meantime the
Kentucky colonel was "suddeaiy
allied East" He had invested about
1000 In a new Kentucky home. and
lad purchased all the lands adjoining
Id was preparing to enjoy himself AZ
feudal lord. Lawyers and detectives
rere sent on to interview the colonel
mid his palatial surroundings and |
hey finally induced him to disgoige
orsion- of the money.
Some of the California conspirators. |
Iowever, could not be forced to dis
he H.,
he background. They, however. soon |
sft for New York, where few of them
ct remain, working their Calisvrn,a
inning stock on. gullible public.
rTTH TOOJNruro ar YrrrI