The suburban citizen., 1902-11-22

falling by the way, died during the
following week, and only two survi-
vors of the party finally reached
settlement in the Sa Bernardlno Val
ley Here the gunsight which the
amateur gunsmith had carved in the
desert attracted the attention Of an
old miner. who at once pronounced it
pure native silver, and eagerly in
quired where 1t had been found Dem
mis- told how it had come into his pos
session, but could give only scanty in
formation as to the locality of the
ledge from which it had been taken.
A careful computation Of the number
Of miles probably covered by the un.
fortunate men, together with n rcck-
onlng of the number OF days they had
wandered after leaving the camp. on
abled n general idea to be formed Of
the probable location of the ledge. A
prospecting party was at once organ
ized and Il careful search made for
what has ever since been known as
the Gunslght Ledge, but failure at
tended the effort Every year from
1854 till now some men have gone in
search of the silver gunsight Only IA
few weeks ago a party Of three pros
pectors started out rom tho desert
town of Barstow, Cal, ~ follow what
they believed was a sure trail TO the
long and dearly sought Gunsight Mine
Of Death Valley.
PEG LEG TRADITION,
The Colorado desert, in the extreme
southern part of California, and the
| mountains on the boundary between
California and Mexico, have been
secured annually for more than thirty
years by adventurous gold-seekers in
quest of the Peg Leg Mine. No lost
mine, after the Gunsight, is more fam
Gus than the Peg Leg. Once every
few years the mining population Of the
coast is excited by the news that the
| lost Peg Leg has been found again.
Even now there are parties of miners
prospecting for some indication that
will show the location of the rich ledge
| that Peg Leg Smith found years ago.
A drunken, rollicking Sold-miner. John
| O.. Smith, who was known as Peg
| Leg Smith, because of wooden peg
| that he wore in place of leg, came
into Los Angeles one day in July Of
1868 with his camp outfit and his
mules laden with several sacks of gold
ore. The rock was assayed by mining
experts in the place. and the news
quickly spread that Peg Leg Smith
had ore that ran all tho way from
! $3.50 TO $500 n ton. or course the
whole country in and about what was
then the little Mexican town of Los
Angeles was soon wildly excited at the
news Of the find of mine that yielded
such ore. Nothing like it had ever
been found south of Amador County.
Peg Leg" Smith was n curious tacl-
turn kind Of fellow, and it was several
weeks before he could be induced to
say a word as to where he got his ore
ard the quantity there was Of such
rock. When at last he did say some
thing about his discovered treasure he
refused to give more than n vague idea
! Of where his claim was situated He
said, however, that it was down across
the Colorado desert, in the mountain
range in San Diego County, and that
until he knew whether this mine was
situated in the United States or Mex
leo he must keep that part a strict
| secret to himself
He said that he had spent five
months in the locality Of this mine,
with two half-breed Pima Indians.
who had guided him there in payment
for kindness he had rendered them in
serious illness. He told again and
| again, and always with rare eXactness
Of detail, the surface indications Of
| his mine the direction and slant of
the gOld-bearng lodges, and the sur
rounding geological and mineral con.
ditions and characteristics. Peg Leg"
said he was confident there was as
much gold ore in his claim as in
Mackay. Fair and Floods Comstock
lodges in Nevada, and every miner
who questioned and cross-questioned
him day after day made the same
estimate from the old prospector's
statements. Probably S5O,00OO00 or
$50, 100000 was in the mines.
A FATAL SEARCH.
Early in September Peg Leg" Smith
turned up missing in Los Angeles, and
the news came across the country
week or two later from San Bernard.
ino that he had been there and hastily
and secretly Fitted out" for a camp
of several months in the mountains
and a mule ride across the desert. He
had. at the last moment, taken two old
mining chums with him and set out in
the night 1t is almost impossible to
track n man across desert Of ever
shifting sand, so the several thousand
men who had made up their minds and
prepared themselves to follow "Peg
Leg" Smith to his treasure find were
forced TO await the next appearance
Of the old fellow in public. From the
time that Peg Leg" and his com.
panions set out from San Bernardino
absolutely nothing has ever been heard
from the prOspector. Several years
later the dried and mummy-like re.
mains Of the two men who accompan.