Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1901-12-04
A FAMOUS LOST NINE"
OLD PROSPECTORS FOND OF Dis
CUSSlNG THE WHITE CEMENT.

/
The most popularity discussed lost
! mine among the miners in the Rocky
mountain camps, especially those in
northern New Mexico, is the White
! Cement A few old miners who knew
White personally still remain in the
! Rock mountains, and their narrative
of the excitement he caused when he
| showed his rich specimen chunks of
| gold ore is always heard with inter
est. 1t is safe to say that several thou
sand men have, at one time or anoth-
er, hunted for the White Cement mine.
The late millionaire silver king, Nat
! G. Creede Of Colorado, spent a year
in trying to find it.
White was a New Englander, GO
years old, who was in California in
! 1912. AS gold seeker he was known
and talked about in every mining camp
on the coast, and stories were told of
his phenomenal luck. He, no doubt,
made several small fortunes, but was
always poor and prospected about with
lean mule and a halfbreed Indian
| boy, getting supplies where he could.
| Many people thought he was slightly
| demented, but he undoubtedly knew
more about the gold region than any
man living.
One day in July, 1858, White came
into Horse Head gulch from northern
! New Mexico, driving his mule and
| looking utterly used up. He got
something to eat. Some one bantered
/ him about his vain searches for a
! mine.
well, just look at that" said old
White, handing out several pieces OF
what looked like hard, white clay,
glittering with specks of metal, but
/ White suddenly became mum, and put
ting his specimens in his bag, went out
to find an assayer.
Before night it was known in camp
that Whites specimens showed 1000
ounces Of gold to tho ton. Everybody
went wild. Nobody slept that night,
but sat around the fires and talked
Cement" In the morning party
/ headed by Senator Sharon's brother
Henry called on White, who was
sleeping in one of the shacks. He
was told that he must pilot the men
| to his find. He could have the pick
of the claims, but go he must, and on
his refusal was warned tnat his life
would be worthless IL he STOOD off,
| the camp. For long time White gave
excuses and declared he did not know
where to lead the men to the find. But
| when the miners showed that they
really would kill him if he didn't show
them where he got his specimens he
! finally consented
A crazier mining camp was never
known. Men in Horse gulch, who were
little credulous and not desirous Of
following White over 800 miles from
camp were offered $1,000 and $1,000
! each for their camp outfits, consist
ing OF picks, shovels, kettles, pans,
| greasy old blankets, bushel OF beans
! and two jackasses. But in two days
there was no outfit to be bought in
the whole gulch mining camp. Ev-
cry one wanted his own outfit.
The trail led across the Rockies. 1t
was a very difficult journey, even for
the old miners, who seemed never to
know what physical fatigue meant 1t
. lNl dlOllS IOthy lTdllS, uD anu uOWu
canons, and across mountain crests.
The first day was a race, and two
thirds of the men broke down. The
Indian leaped ahead like q wolf, and
then White followed, his long gray
hair flying in the wind. BY the end
OF the second day the party was in
the heart of the mountains, in des-
ert where no human being had ever
been before Many of the animals
were lost and the men We're haggard
with fatigue and excitement White
was told il he played false he was
dead man, but he still pointed east
ward.
The old man led his aching, thirst
ing and wornout followers into
blind canon, nearly on the boundary
between New Mexico and Colorado.
There everyone was glad to take
rest by the side OF brook.
Boys, we'll be there tomorrow. It's
about S5 miles over that way" said
White, pointing to the nor Invest. i've
got little off my trail, hut now I've
got my bearings. You'll be the rich
est of any miners alive when you get
over where I'm pointin'."
A ringing yell went up from the
men, tired and almost famished though
they were The camp fire was made,
supper was cooked and eaten, the
stock was fed, and every one but old
White lay down in blankets to sleep
and dream of wealth.
81 guess I'll go and see about my
horses. I'm too nervous to sleep, now
that I know l am near to the biggest
thing on earth," said the old miner, as
he went down the canyon to where the
horses were piclteted for the night
Every one in camp slept like a log.
I When daylight cane no one could find
Mnite. His horse was gone, too A
maddened lot Of mon tried to trail him
but they could not follow the old fell
low in that region for more than few
miles.