Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1900-08-13
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES UUUUUUUUUUwwUvvwww
THEL0ST PICACHO MINE
BY Henry Hdelbert Thompson.
0O0nONO0nnnO0nnn0 Observation-Disclosures.
MMMMM@MMMMMlMMMMQ

was ever discovered. The location of
Barlow's gold-bearing ledge is a mys-
terry to this day."
Il would like to find that m me-"
said Tom Harper
SO would every man between Tue
son and YUMA" Pentield replied.
But where the most expert minets OF
Arizona have failed, it is not likely
that New Jersey tenderfoot would
succeed. 1t would be fun to see you
try it,"
Il intend to try it." said Tom, reso.
lutely. will you come along?"
why, certainly, nothing would
please me better. But what line are
you going to work on?"
Did any one think of following the
trail of the mules from the Picacho
station and back again?" asked Har-
per.
Penfeld says he had to laugh before
he replied: Il suppose that the idea
of trailing the mules was uppermost
in every man in the crowd at the
Picacho station the morning after
Barlow's death. But every trace left
by the animals had been washed out
by a thunderstorm, and considerable
rain fell while we We're prospecting
the mountain"
did any one think of turning the
mules loose at the station" asked
Tom, land then following them up?'
"No," replied Penfield, feeling sur
prised.
well, 1t might have amounted to
something. Animals are creatures of
habit. They follow the same route in
feeding day after day; they so to the
same place for water, although there
may be equally good springs near.
Now those mules of Barlow's proba-
bly, had the run of the range often.
When they bolted that morning th-
chances are ninety in hundred that
they took Il trail that they were used
to, and followed it until they We're
overtaken. And mules, unless closely
pushed, would not climb the mountain
side, but keep on or close to the level
| ground"
go on" said Penfield, now becom-
ing much interested.
"Now," continued Harper, 1--WE may
turn our attention to Barlow. He was
simply In pursuit of his runaway ami
mails, and it is not likely that he
turned aside to make a prospecting
trip up the side of the mountain. So
if he found a gold mine that day he
stumbled on it accidentally, and he
found it at or near the base of the
Picacho Peak"
And you may add" interrupted
Pcnfeld, that he succeeded in hiding
it away effectually."
Yes, that is n point. The problem
is to find something which has been
concealed somewhere in the neighbor-
hood of the route of two wandering
mules. If we knew their route the
problem would be siEiplified."
"And you propose to find it by TAX
ing Barlow's mules, which l bought
this afternoon, to the old station, turn
ing them loose, and following their
trail? Bright boy! The scheme is
worth trying. Tomorrow we will
take the mules up to the Picacho sta
ton and turn them loose, and the next
morning we will take their trail. We
shan't find the mine, but we shall
have done our best to find it."
THE surprising thing to me-" re-
marked Harper, lis your way of max
ing a practical application of ideas.
The notion of following the mules was
simply something that occurred to me.
but l am ready to try it if you are.
Anyhow, it will give me an opportr-
nifty TO see the Picacho Peak at close
range"
penfield says they both felt foolish
the next morning but one, when they
started out from Barlow's old station
with provisions for twentyfour hours.
and each carrying light prospecting
pick over his shoulder. Barlow had
gone afoot, and Harper insisted that
hey should follow his example.
The trail of the mules, plain to Pen
fields experienced eye, led them in a
sOutheasterly direction, around rather
than directly toward the peak. The
animals had fed leisurely along for
some time, and then, as the Western
partner announced, had moved on
more rapidly.
The two men made easy progress.
The occasional patches of mesquit
through which the animals had wan
dered gave them some shade as the
sun rose higher and higher over the
desert.
Gradually the trail led them to the
base of the mountain, and they began
to ascend the extreme end of the long
ridge in which the peak ends to the
eastward.
At this point well-defNed cattle
trail led over a low Saddle" in the
ridge, and as they reached the top of
this saddle Penfield saw the mules