Arizona republican., 1899-12-11


day and on the next start on their
return back to Tucson.
On this trip swilling had Chi
huahua Mexican whom he thought
much Of. named Berado Frayes, who
was a pretty good hunter. Jack told
Dorado to try his luck at hunting, as
the camp was in need of fresh meat.
The Mexican shOuldered his rife and
struck out in quest of game, and in his
tramp in search OF something to kill,
found himself late in the afternoon on
the farther side of the flat rock hill
and not caring to retrace his steps
around the base Of the hill, he mag
ined the nearest way to camp would
be across the hill. Rain had fallen
two or three days previously, and some
of the depressions or holes in the
rocks contained rainwater. After his
labOrious climb TO the summit of the
fiat top rock Berado was hot and
thirsty and seeing the water, he lay
down to take a drink of it. While
drinking the rainwater he saw in the
bottom a big chunk of yellow some
thing, but had no notion that it was
gold, as it was so large, being about
half the size of his open hand. How
ever, being curious to know what the
heavy yellow thing really was. BeradO
carried it into camp and gave it to
Jack Swilling, his partner. Swilling
at once pronounced it gold and asked
the Mexican where he found it, who
explained to Jack how and where the
"chispa" was found. Jack Immediate
ly shouted to his lounging sleepy party,
The Indian didn't lie; the gold is
there and here is a chunk BaradO
brought down with him" The find
ing OF the "chispa" caused much eX-
element in the camp, and nearly
every one was for going up that night,
but Jack said: NO use to get eX-
cited over the matter, boys; the sold
will not fly away tonight, and we must
have some definite understanding. be-
tween ourselves before We take pos
session OF the ground, or rather of the
rock" So that night it was agreed
that the surface of the rock should be
equally divided into sqdares, one
square to each one of the party, the
squares to be numbered and drawn
for by lot out of a hat. The next day
the ground was staked off and num-
bered, and each man drew a number
out of a hat, which entitled him to the
square of the same number. AS there
was practically no dirt to wash out
the gold being found in large nuggets.
and either lay upon the surface of the
rock or in crevices, it was gotten out
with spoons and butcher knives. The
Mexican drew q number from the hat
and from his square cleaned up sew
eral thousand dollars in gold nuggets.
Don BeradO Frayes, well known for
years in Arizona as Don BeradO, some
years after his Rich Hill strike. 10
Gated on the Little Colorado. then in
northern Yavapai county, afterwards
Apache county, and now Navajo coun-
y. Berado established his store or
trading post right where the present
town Of Holbrook stands and which Is
now the county seat of Navajo county
The writer has been intimately ac-
quainted with Don BeradO for more
than thirty-six years, and knew him
to be an honorable man, a good citizen
and generous hearted friend. He had
his weaknessos-and who has not?
Berado's weakness was pin-pool, which
he called washington, and hot tod
dies. Besides his mercantile business
Berado owned a train of bull teams
and did considerable freighting' that
paid well IN those early days. Ex-
cUse this diversion from the story Of
Rich Hill.
On the third day it was decided by a
majority of the Rich Killers that at
ter a man had filed his pint cup with
gold he should knock off for that day.
This rule was adhered to and many of
them had their cups filed by Il
o'clock, while in some cases it took till
o'clock in the afternoon to fill them.
Jack W. Swilling was an honorable
and an exceedingly brave man, and
as soon as he could spare the time he
started in TO look up his Indian friend
However, the Indian fearing his peo-
pie would murder him for the part
taken il the gold discovery, had hid
den away and it took Jack several
weeks to find him. The Indian found,
Jack paid him out Of his own pocket
more than double the stipulated sum
agreed on for mis- services.
The above is a true story of the dis
covery Of Rich Hill, and all other
stories to the contrary are merely so
much rot.
Captain Weaver was not killed by
Apaches in 1855, as stated by this
paper. On the contrary, the
Old fellow died a natural death, I
think in 1871, in little a" tent about
a mile from the old Camp Verde mil
itary post. Captain Weaver became
quite childish prior to his demise, and
Lad holy horror Of houses and never
could be prevailed upon to sleep in
one. The military authorities at Camp
Verde furnished him the tent and ra-
tons. The a" tent being a sort of
compromise on the Apache wickiup,
the old man finally agreed to use it,
and in that tent he breathed his last.
Captain Weaver first Joined the
Apache umas, or Apache MClaves,
in 1871, and thereafter lived in Ari-
iona and with the Indians up TO with
in few years prior to his death at
Camp Verde. The writer WAS we'll ac~-