The San Francisco call., 1899-06-04

Couts of Escondido IS known all
over Southern California as the
man who dreamed himself rich.
He discovered a wonderful gold
mine through a dream.
Cave Couts was surveyor. He
came from Indiana to California and
bought a ranch at Escondido in one OF
the prettiest inland valleys of Southern
California Several years ago, when
Major Harry Patton of this city was ap-
pointed by the Government as agent to
allot lands TO the Mission Indians, he Sc
lected Cave Couts to be his engineer.
When he was ready to begin the work Of
surveying the lands Major Patton went
to the Couts ranch at Escondido and re-
mained over night, and the start for the
Indian reservation was made from there.
my dear, this will be my last survey
ing trip" said Couts to his wife, as the
party was about to leave on the follow
ing morning. 1--WE are soon to be rich,
and shall give up surveying forever and
enjoy the blessings which riches can
bring US. We Will have more money than
we know what to do with, for 1 have
discovered a gold mine"
There were no gold mines in the Escon-
dido Valley, and of course the members
of the party were anxious to learn how
Mr.. Couts could have made his discov-
cry. When he told them that he had dis
covered the mine in a dream they laugh
ed at him, but he assured them that he
considered 1t no laughing matter. He
had dreamed that he was going through
a wild, mountainous country and that in
one of the most inaccessible places in the
whole region he Unexpectedly came upon
a little cabin, built of adobe bricks and
brush. There he found an old Mexican
woman, the sole occupant of the place,
and she directed him to a spring, where
he went to slake his thirst. AS he kneeled
over the water and gazed into its clear
depths he saw glittering particles in the
sands at the bottom. When he went
back to the cabin he asked the old woman
If there was gold in those mountains, and
she told him there was gold there in
abundance. Then he woke up.
Several years after that-a little over
three years, to be exact-Mr. Couts was
one day riding through the mountains
near the Julian mining district, in San
Diego County. and lost his way. He had
followed g. winding mountain trail for
several miles, hoping it would bring him
TO some habitation where he might in
Quire his way. Suddenly he came out
upon a little clearing, in the center of
which was a cabin. There was a faml-
lar look about the place, though Mr..
Couts was certain he had never been in
those mountains before. But as he
looheu drouhu MN at the rouSn ana deep
scanned mountains and saw the forests
of pine above him and the rushing stream
below him in the canyon, he recognized
the scene
My dreamt' he exclaimed. This is
the place 1 saw in my dream" For dur
ing the three long years he had never
given up the hope that he would one day
find the golden mountain of his sleeping
vision. And now it stood before himI
He rode to the door of the cabin. An
old Mexican woman appeared. His voice
trembled as he asked her in Spanish if
there was not a spring near where he
could find a cool drink. She motioned
with her hand, and he went directly to
the spring. All happened exactly as II
had in his dream.
Back he went to the cabin and asked
the old woman the very Same question