The Savannah morning news., 1900-07-12

of these facts, now published for the hrst
time, were obtained. The storekeeper
finally gave up the search, but otner mc'',
less fortunate. have left their bones on
the desert. One of these was Tom cover,
e1-sherin OF San Bernardino county, VINO
started up canon on foot leaving ms
companion to walt for him in a buckboar1
on the trail. Dead or alive Cover was
never seen again. though his friends or
ganized searching parties and left no stone
unturned in vain effort TO recover his
body
To one who knows nothing Of the coun-
try ii would seem a simple matter 10
relocate the Pegleg. But there are nun
dreds of square miles so broken that inc
prospector cannot see fifty yards in any
direction, and to lose his bearings means
death by thirst. 1t is a volcanic region
broken and sown with ashes and lava; a
gloomy waste where death and silence
stand guard over the hill OF gold
The Lee mine has a different history,
though none the less tragic. Years ago
Old Man Lee came into San Bernardino
and recorded a quartz location describing
it as nearly as he could in the absence
of a survey. lie hired man 10 help MIN
develop the ledge, and from that time
forward until his death mode periodical
visits to town to buy supplies and ship the
bullion that he brought in, for he reduced
his own ore by means OF an arastra. He
was a eociable man, had many friends,
and made no efforts 10 conceal the where
abouts OF his bonanza. There are men
stiH living i'm San Bernardino whom he
invited to come out and look at the prop
erty, for which he received numerous Of
fers Ex-Gov. Waterman, who founded
Julian was eager to buy half interest
I'm the Lee, but the owner gave II out pos
itively that he would sell to no one. For
that reason, and because the location was
remote and difficult of access, no one ever
went out there.
one night Lee left San Bernardno to
return 10 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 a sum of
money and a 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 a party, including the pub
lie administrator, started al once for the
mine. They failed to find II, nor has 1t
been found TO this day In time the loca-
ton became void, and ex-Gov. Waterman
published a standing offer Of $4,000 for n
half interest In the mine, without investi-
cation to be paid to any one who found
IL. But mine, machinery, buildings and
dumps have disappeared utterly, nor was
the miner employed by Lee ever heard OF
again. II liz generally 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 Grip
pied him in Lees absence.
Then there Is the old mine back from
the Potholes IN San Diego county that
was worked by the Spaninrds century
and more ago When the Indians arose
and Killed their taskmasters they filed In
the shaft and obliterated the trail, but
they know where II is 10 his day. A few
years ago Yuma agreed to show the
spot 10 Dr. DE Courcey OF Yuma, but oil
the journey he became frightened and
| turned back. There is also mine in the
| ella Range that an Indian started 10 un-
| cover to a white man recently, but he,
too, yielded to his superstition on the road
and could not be induced to go on