The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1900-07-06

half-naked SQuaW cfawied 10 the con-
struction train from the blazing south.
| They gave her water and saved her i'ie'
though she was delirious for a time.
/ knotted in a handkerchief she had sew
eral pounds OF the burnt black gold OF
the Pegieg. some nuggets OF whicn shc
gave to the engineer. She had LEFT the
Soboba reservation, on the edge or war
ner's ranch, with her buck 10 go 10 the
kookapah settlement down below iu
ma, near the Blythe colony. They had
somehow got of the trail east OF the
pass, and had run out OF water. Al
last she had ascended the highest OF
.Trois Picachos" (three peaks. or hilis)
and from il had seen the smoke OF the
construction locomotive, miles away.
On this peak she had picked up the
nuggets; on the way 10 the railroad her
IMAM" had given up and died or thirst.
All efforts to get further informatioh
from her proved futile. AS she recov-
cred she refused to talk and In DAY
o. two went back TO her own people.
Every southwesterner knows the fulfill
~ of asking an Indian anything ABOUT
gold. Their strongest superstition Is 10
the effect that to lead white man 10
a gold field involves not only physical
death. but spiritual torments In the
hereafter.
The only person who appears TO have
Mexican, a hard-riding vaquero VINO
punched cattle and herded horses on
Warmers ranch fifteen or twenty years
ago This Mexican suddenly appeared
with great wealth. wore gorgeous raj
ment. bucked every monte game De-
tween the Aqua Calaiente and Ensena-
da, and lorded 1t over the dark-eyed
damsels Of his race. whenever ms
funds ran low he left Warmers ranch
alone and returned In two days with
a few thousand dollars In the burnt
black gold of the Pegleg, which he de-
posted with the storekeeper at the
ranch. Gold-that is, placer gold-has
an individuality of its own, and an ex-
perienced miner can tell by looking at
a nugget just where IL was found, pro-
vlded, of course, that he has worked
the same ground And there is no mis-
taking the Pegleg gold, which, on top.
where II has been exposed 10 the action
of the sun, is as black as Stag.
OF course attempts were made 10 tol-
low the Mexican, but he rode the best
horse in the south and at a certain point
his pursuers always lost him. From this
point he was invariably absent one day.
so IL Is certain that the Pegleg Is hair
a days ride or less from the place
where the trail disappeared. He did
not live long TO enjoy his prosperity:
A Mexican with whom he quarrelled
carved him with a knife and he never
spoke afterward. He left $4,000 In mug
gets and coarse gold at the ranch store.
and the store keeper spent years In
futile effort to relocate the lost bonan-
"a 1t was through him that many of
these facts, now published for the nrst
time. were obtained. The STORE keeper
finally gave upthe search. buUother men
less fortunate. have left their bones on
the desert One Of these was Tom
Cover. ex-sheriff OF San Bernardino
county, who started up a canon on foot,
leaving his companion to wait for him
in blackboard on the trail. Dead or
alive, Cover was never seen again,
though his friends orga anized searching
parties and left no stone unturned IN
a vain effort tn recover his body.
To one who knows nothing or the
country IL would seem a simple mat
ter TO reocate the Pegleg. But there
are hundreds OF square miles so Dro-
ken that the prospector cannot see
fifty yards In any direction, and 10
lose his bearings means death by thirst.
II Is volcanic region, broken ana
sown with ashes and lava: gloomy
waste where death and silence stand
guard over the hill of gold.
The Lee mine has a different his
tory. though none the less tragic. Years
ago Old Man Lee came into San Ber-
nardino and recorded a quartz loca-
ton. describing It as nearly as he
could in the absence OF a survey lie
hired a man 10 help him develop the
ledge. and from that time forward un-
I'll his death made periodical visits TO
town to buy supplies and ship the bull
lion that he brought in. for he reduced
his own ore by means OF an arastra
He was a sociable man, had many
friends. and made no efforts to con-
ceal the Whereabouts OF his bonanza.
There are men still living in San Ber-
nardino whom he invited to come out
and look at the property for which he
received numerous offers. Ex-Gov.
Waterman. who founded Julian. was
eager to buy half interest in the
Lee, but the owner gave IL out posi-
lively that he would sell TO no one.
For that reason. and because the loca-
ton was remote and difficult Of access,
no one ever went out there.
One night Lee left San Bernardino
TO return TO his mine, and was picked
up next morning just outside the town
with a bullet in his heart The object
OF the murder was not robbery, as
sum OF money and valuable watch
were found on the body. The assassin
was never caught. Lee had remarked
In town that his employe at the mine
was about out OF supplies. so party.
including the puDlc Administrators,
started at once for the mine. They
failed to find II, nor has II been found
to this day. In time the location be-
came void. and ex-Gov. Waterman
published standing offer of $4,000
for a half interest in the mine. without
investigation. TO be paid 10 any one
who found II. But mine. machinery,
buildings and dumps have disappeared
utterly. nor was the miner employed
by Lee ever heard OF again. 1t is gen.
orally believed that when the old shaft
Is relocated the skeleton OF the miner
will be found at the bottom. one. of
those accidents that constantly hap
pen under ground having killed or
crippled him I'm Lee absence.
Then there is the old mine back from
the Potholes in San Diego county that
was worked by the Spanlards a CEN
tury and more ago. When the Indians
arose and killed their taskmasters
they filled in the shaft and obliterated
the trail. but they know where II is
TO this day. A few years ago Yuma
agreed 10 show the spot 10 DR.. De
Courcey OF Yuma. but on the journey
he became frightened and turned back.
There Is also a mine In the Gila Range
that an Indian started 10 uncover 10 a
white man recently. but he. too. yield
l.. 49,. n