The daily morning journal and courier., 1902-01-02
TYPICAL OF THE HUNT FOR GOLD -----

GOLD.
 During the summer of '95 l had beer
 on a prospecting trip through the des-
 ert and mountains of central and west
 ern Arizona, which terminated in Yuma
 county, where I disposed of my burros
 and, accompanying freighter, started
 for Congress Jet, via the Bonanza mine
 in the Harqua Hala Mountains, Harris
 burg and Cullens Well. We had the
 experiences common to that country of
 dry camps and desert whirlwnds, but
 nothing that was unusual or that par
 ticularly attracted my attention until
 the last day.
 l had been asleep in the bottom of
 the frieght wagon, but the heat grew so
 intense that I was awakened, and sit-
 ting up I noticed the yucca tree with the letters B. T. cut in the bark, and near by there was an old camp ground streWG with rusty tin cans. The ordi- nary observer might not have noticed the tree, but as I have followed survey ing l recognized the yucca as bear ing tree" of some survey, and was sur prised at seeing it, as I supposed the country never had been surveyed.
 On arriving at Congress Junction, a station on the Santa Fe, Prescott and Phoenix railroad, I found the agent to be a friend, and as at that time there was no place of accommodation there but the railroad section house, he invi- ted me to share his quarters until the train for Prescott arrived the next morning.
 While enjoying cigars after supper l was giving my friend a history of my trip. and incidentally mentioned hay ing seen the bearing tree, when with an interest greater than he had before shown, he said:
 Did you notice signs of an old camp ground anywhere about there?" Yes, not more than one hundred yards from the bearing tree Why?"
 Well, there were three men here who. were looking for yucca bearing tree near an old camp ground. They spent three weeks in the search, leaving here with enough water on their wagon for one nights dry camp and returning every second night for water. After three weeks search without finding the tree they gave it up and went away, only about a month ago"
 Why were they so anxious to find that tree?' I said.
 Well it's like this" my friend re- piled. One of the three men had been a cook with the surveying party who marked that tree; the other two enl- ployes of the Wells s-Fargo Express company in San Francisco, whom he had interested in his tale, and who were bearing the expenses of the search. It seems that the cook, according to his story, had been with the surveyors all through their trip. The party were ac- customed to leave camp early every morning and not return until night, and as the cook had but little to do during the middle of the day, he used to pres- pect around among the hills, within walking distance of camp, and it was while they were camped near this bearing tree that he found the wonder full rich gold mine, and he wanted to find that camp ground, claiming that, if he could only have that place as starting point he could find the mine"
 How rich did he say the mine was?' asked.
 He knew nothing about mining but he said that, with only case knife he pried out over forty dollars worth or gold from the rock"
 Gee whiz-" I exclaimed; If he found such bonanza as that, why did he not locate it, or stay with it?'
 Well there were several reasons To begin with the cook was a green Englishman, who had only been in the country a short time, and he was afraid to tell anything about what he had found, or to show his gold, fearing that the rest of the party would rob him of | both gold and claim; so he kept the whole matter secret, intending to come back afterward; but 1t was several | years before he got around to it. The | way he happened to come back now was [ this; He had drifted to San Francisco, and was there dead broke, when he happened to mention what he had found in Arizona to an acquaintance. an express driver, who told the two men hat came down here with him. He told them that, with the bearing tree as . a starter he could go right to the ledge and he had no doubt about being able to find the bearing tree; but, as told you, they spent three weeks looking for it.
 Now if you can only get track of these men" my friend continued, they would probably let you in on it, if you showed them the lost camp. Do you think you could find it again?"
 Most assuredly can."
 Well, I'll try and reach them and let you know"
 The next morning left for Prescott. When in Congress Junction again I 'ound that my friend had gone to Ore yon or Washington, and I never heard rom him again. On two occasions I vent out to the lost camp, and searched he nearest hills for gold, though with 10 success; and l would greatly like to lnow if the cook really did find gold as le described, or if he made the whole aie out of his imagination.-Los An ,eles Times.
 REV. B. F. CHAPMAN DEAD.