Mohave County miner., 1899-09-02


tor who has lately invested quite
heavily in this county. Their purpose
is to explore this new mining region
and work under contract for one
year any quartz or placer claims which
may be discovered. From Franklin
the party will go direct to New York,
thence by steamer to the Isthmus of
Panama. Arriving at the latter place
they cross overland to the Pacific,
where steamer will await their arrival
to take them to Moheredo, Peru. From
this point they walk to Juliaca, Peru,
distance of 175 miles. With the Ari-
zona contingent there will be an ad-
ditional force of half a dozen more,
to meet them at New York. At this
latter place they will be outfitted in
clothing, mining utensils and fire arms,
1t being the purpose to provide each
man with such means of protection as
to withstand any element of the blood
thirsty that country seems to be SO
badly afflicted with. Each man will
be armed with brace of six-shooters
and rifles of the latest make, with 500
rounds Of ammunition. A large pack
train of acclimated animals will carry
provisions and other goods across the
Andes from Moheredo.
This is one Of the most novel and
largest American expedition ever to
leave for South America on purely
private backing. 1t goes, according to
report, on the representations made by
correspondent of the Chicago Record,
whose glittering accounts of the fabu-
lous wealth of gold in that section,
are indeed fascinating il not inviting.
This correspondent also states that
the country is but in its infancy in
mining and so well guarded are its
riches by uncivilized native Indians
that none but the intrepid should ad
vance to the interior. and a sufficient
number should be together to with
stand any probable attack.
The selection of Arizona miners is
a creditable one, and seems to have
been due to the fact of general
knowledge of the mining industry, and
likewise familiarity with the cunning
and characteristics of the Indian
Nearly every man of the above coterie
has been in the territory many years,
and followed mining i'm its every phase,
from punching burro over the noun
tain trail to chloriding on any prospect
run onto.
The objective point of these miners
is one Of the oldest and richest In min |
ing tradition on the American CONT |
nent. 1t is here, according to history |
of gold hunting that Ell Dorado lived
and thrived many generations ago, and
as yet has not been run onto. The
Cibica Indians, who still inhabit and |
rule over that country, aud who it is
said are the only human beings who
know of the exact location of the Sc
cret chamber in that mythical noun
tain supposed to guard this god of
gold, have from time to time in the
past fifty years been persuaded to re-
veal the location of the same, but to
each expedition has the same results
followed, and after years of fruitless
search, coupled with death and disease.
has each successfully failed. An Eng
lish company has been striving for a
decade past to solve the mystery of
the location of Ell Dorado, but aside
from the discovery of some rich placer
deposits, or an occasional stringer of
quartz, has met with disaster from
either climatic diseases or the hostility
OF the natives. Decimated to a few
they are about to abandon the search.
which has been fruitless and disas-
trous to the men aud its promoters.
As each year passes by, interest
seems to awaken more aud more To
the belief that the location of these
gold fields or some thread like ira
dition, have again been run onto. and
the formation of this Arizona expedi.
tion is only in keeping with the cher.
ished hope of private capital that it
will be solved to a certainty ia this in.
stance. A few years ago party of
four left Prescott for Peru. two of
whom returned. Those two who re.
NAMED were killed later, along with
four others. A fate like the above has
overtaken scores of others, but un.