The Ketchum keystone. [volume] (Ketchum, Idaho) 1885-1899, 1897-01-23
cA1IroRHIA's RAnDsBURa.
Another Mercur In the Death VAL
ley Desert.

10y O0seA$'
California is all excitement over
it's new Randsburg-its counterpart
of the Mercur, and people are flock
ing to the new fields in great mum.
bers. In speaking of the new camp
a California paper says:
Out in the Mojave desert and al
most on the edge of the dreadful
Death Valley itself has sprung up
mining camp which promises to be
to Southern California what Cripple
Greek is to Colorado. Randsburg
it is called, after the famous South
African Witwatersrand.
For years the hills and noun
tains in the Mojave desert have been
tramped over by prospectors, and
many an unfortunate searcher for
gold has left his bones to mark his
trail. But of late there has been big
finds among those sun-baked rocks,
The desert outcroppings indicate
that below it is untold wealth; so
men have braved the arid terrors of
San Bernardino county and have
swarmed into the mining district
by hundreds. Randsburg is hourly
growing, and, although it was mere
" little clump of huts and tents
in the desert when last heard from,
it may be city by this time.
Perhaps nothing could convey
more wildly to the minds of people
who know nothing about deserts
what the real conditions are like
than to mention that the people Of
Randsburg are paying 81 barrel
for drinking water, and that baths
are a luxury which must be paid
for at the rate of 81 each, with no
fancy frills thrown in. A towel, a
tub half full Of water and bar of
soap, with the seclusion of tent,
constitute the whole paraphernalia.
Not very much GOLD has been pro-
duced at Randsburg yet. The camp
is built on indications. Men in
rough clothes, unshaven, and gen.
orally disreputable in appearance,
are the millionaires-elect of Rands :
burg. They show strangers hole
in the ground perhaps 20 feet deep,
with rude windlass at the top, and
they announce chat they are not
ready to sell out for less than $lO,-
600, 900. To the scofers they show
certificates from the assay office to
the effect that ore from their pros
pect holes has produced gold at the
rate of from $50 to 5000 a ton.
Some earth has even showed $500
to the ton.
1t is expected by many that the
Majave mining district will soon
become one of the richest gold-pro-
ducing regions in the world. The
men who follow the golden glitter
of the yellow metal in the hopes of
striking it rich and making their
pile are Fastening to Raudsburg
from all quarters OF the earth. There
are men who have failed 20 make d
strike at Cripple Greek, others who
have vainly followed the Youkon
up into the regions just under the
Arctic circle, men who have tranped
over the Arizona hills, prospectors
who three months ago were walking
the streets of Johannesburg and
some who have come fromAustralia.
Naturally the socials elements at
Randsburg are somewhat mixed.
and not little crude. The saloon
and the theater, those cosmopolitan
features of civilization which are al
home in every land, have already
arrived. The sequel to few MUIR
ders has been the organization OF
citizens committee, and Judge
Lynch is daily expecting to put in
| an appearance and lend the finish
ing touch to the picture of the ideal
mining camp.
Randsburg seems to have an un-
usually good supply of romance
connected with its origin. Almos,
every prospect hole has it's thrilling
history. 1t will not do to doubt
them, for the men who are respon.
sible for the stories are on the
ground. Randsburg is SO new tina,
it's history is reckoned by months
and not by years.
In September of last year three
prospectors named Mooers, Buch.
am and Singleton were dry wash
ing the placer dirt in the bills, and
one night after having been away
from the camp, they got lost and
went to sleep in the gulch to wait
for daylight. In the morning Buch
am idly struck his hammer on g
projecting quartz vein and the free
gold almost dazzled him. The
three men are now the owners O
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