The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1899-05-03
MINERS RUSHING
TO KRAMER CAMP
Special Dispatch to The Call.

RANDSBURG, May 2.-Not since the
free milling gold strike by Burcham,
Singleton and Moore at what is now
Randsburg. in April, 1895, has there
been such excitement among miners
on the Mojave desert as the news of
gold strikes ten miles southeast Of
Kramer has created in the last week.
Indeed, men who have lived out here
among the bold and bleak mountains
Of the painted desert say there has not
been such general excitement because
Of new ore nnds since the days of the
Calico silver discovery, nineteen years
ago. After unusual secrecy by the dis
cOVerers of the Kramer mines for four
months, information concerning the
richness Of the finds leaked out on
April p, and forthwith the rush for
Kramer began from all Of the little
mining camps from Tehachapi to the
Colorado River. This week the rush is
greater than ever, and before Sunday
it probably Will comprise hundreds of
men. Miners on horseback, on foot, on
the Santa Fe Railroad trains and in
wagons are going into the Kramer
camp by scores daily, Notwithstanding
the coolest and windiest May weather
known in years. Last niSht over 400
men slept under blankets amid grease
wood Chaparral on the desOlate foot
:
will be more there.
For over year Albert 5. Clarke,
Dixon Duncan and Robert GOldSberry
have been dryWashing for gold among
the desert foothills in that locality.
They are old soldiers of fortune and
have had twenty-five years experience
among the Southern California mines.
Last November they found drywashing
ore near Kramer that paid them $50
daily. They agreed TO keep their sue
cess a strict secret
While they conducted their dry
washing they prOspected for Lodges. In
January they found them. No human
being was within ten miles and they
kept their work secret among them
selves. Meanwhile they have been 10
eating twelve claims on the richest ore
and in localities most advantageous TO
themselves, and have sunk shafts and
crosscuts to reveal the formation of
the ore bed. These miners have been
shipping their dryWaShed gold to San
Francisco from four different Santa Fe
Railroad stations in order to let no one
know what wealth they were digging.
However, when they sent $4,000 worth
of gold from Barstow last week the
secret got out and the rush to Kramer
began.
c. A. Burcham, the millionaire miner
Of Randsburg, has mining prospectOrs
locating claims at Kramer. He says
the Kramer camp will be second to
Randsburg .. a. Douglas, who has
been a mining expert for the De la Mar
Company of Utah, says the Kramer
gold strike is the more wonderful be
cause Of the popularity of it's ore. No
such gold ore ever was found in Amer
lea before. 1t is quartzite. porphyry
and quartz proper 1t assays all the
way from $15 to $500. The vein is TWEEN
ty feet wide but in some localities its
width is over thirty feet. The ledge
may be traced for four or five miles.
W. c. Woodward who has charge Of
the Randsburg Railway, has seven
claims there. Shafts on two of them
are down twenty feet and the ore runs
from Sc 10 $40 a ton from the grass
roots. II. R. Bacon, who was first on
the camp last week. has seen Dixon
Duncan horn 81 in gold from pail OF
ore from his claim there.