The San Francisco call., 1898-01-23

in the district of about 20OO or 25e0 peO- pie, of whom 600 are miners, regularly employed. Where Randsburg and JO- hannesburg now stand there was noth- ing three years agO-nOt q house. q tent or a human being. Now there are good stores, well supplied, very fair hotels and restaurants, public schools and even churches. Public order is well maintained. and, notwithstanding the haste with which the community has been brought together, one is quite as safe in his person and property at Randsburg CT Johannesburg as he is in San Francisco or Los Angeles.
 The first discoveries at Randsburg were made in 1895 by three prospect ors-F. M. Mooers John Singleton and C; A. Burcham-who were out on dry washing" expedition. They had been at work dry washing at Goler. a placer district few miles distant. and thought they would try their luck on the ground which is now comprised in the Rand group of mines. They found very rich decomposed quartz, and by pounding it up some and running if through their washer they took out quite a quantity of gold-often as much as $50 in a day.
 Out on the flat, level desert south O: Randsburg there is what is known as the "Stringer" district On cutting through the surface soil and gravel the bed rock" is found to be traversed by small veins of quartz, often rich in gold.
 It is one of the agreeable features of this district that there are a remark able number of mines that are doing more or less milling and turning out bullion. The milling capacity of the district is now nearly 100 stamps. None of the mills are larger than ten stamps. and they are located wherever there is sufficient water. within a radius of ten miles from Randsburg. The output of the district at present is not less than $100.000 per month and that ratio will probably be maintained during the cur rent year.
 The dry washer" has cut no insig- nificant figure in prospecting the deserts and mountains of Southern Cal ifornia. It was with a dry washer that MOoers (who was formerly a newspa- per man) and his companions found Randsburg. Three prospectors were l dry washing when they found La For tuna mine, just little way across the | Colorado River in Yuma County Ari
 zona, from which Charles D. Lane is now taking out from $5000O to S1O0 OO0 per month in gold, with which he fights | the battles of free silver" Dry wash | ing is hard and dusty work, but many a prospector by this method makes the
 stake" which he needs for hunting | QudItI NlilleS. A really good equipment for a desert prospector will include a compact and easily carried dry washer
 three good burros, two for pack ami mals and one for saddle a pair of ten gallon kegs for water and the usual camping outfit. Many travel with a less l comfortable equipment, but they ought not to do so. And they cannot be toe careful about seeing that the supply of water in the kegs never runs out Most of the tragedies of the desert are caused by carelessness or mishap in the matter of water. Nothing is so calcu- lated to rattle" even a brave man as the appalling knowledge that he is out of water; that the spring or tank l upon which he relied is dry and that he is at least days ride across a hot and sandy desert or through rough mountain trails. to the nearest supply
 It is mental quite as much as physical
 suffering that brings insanity to the unfortunate prospector under such con- ditions, and plain cross supported by
 a pile of stones marks the last resting
 place of not few brave men who. suf.
 fering from the bangs of thirst have
 wandered about the desert aimlesslN
 and in circles, until finally exhausted
 The bodies Of such are nearly alway:
 found divested Of clothing, which the! tear off in their delirium.