Durango semi-weekly herald., 1902-08-18
EXPERIENCES IN FIELD
WITH PROFESSOR LAKES.
fFrom the Wage Earner.)

fldNk fidf tludh t'itr Hoh'N i'''H'
esting stories of the experiences he
and Prof, Lakes had Ave years ago.
when the Professor was here on a
geological examination OF the La
Plata and Needles mountains. After
n long and tedious exploration OF the
La Plata country they went into the
Needles. Several people had con
ceived the idea that the Needles were
10 be sighted The Pofcssor had
heard some bad stories abont the
Needles. and when he reached the
first camp made there his suspicious
were almost If not quite confirmed.
John Larsen who represented some
gigantic propositions told the profes-
sor that he had enough ore In sight
ut one of the workings, out on the
dump, to run fifty ton mill SIX
months when the professor saw
that dump he heayed Sigh and gasp
ed to nsS Mr. Larsen II that was the
milling material of which he had
spoken aud he WAS assured that IT
was. The professor said aside.
"oh my. that dump dirt and all
would not make over three wagon
loads.
Larsen plloted and tie party pro
ceeded to climb over clifrs, wallis.
sleeps and slopes, from one hole to
another. finding occasionally some
thing that looked like n vein Fin.
ishing the examination OF this enter
prize which VAS selling stock 10 farm.
crs, waiter girls. bootblacks. etc, on
a promise TO buiid mill. the party
was led by Tim Hart. The Irish patriot
and veteran of the Needles. to another
camp While the supper was cook
lnf Story was told of how Larsen
had been hunting the camp over to
find rich Piece OF ore TO send TO his
company so tboy would ante M on
arrcafarcs. This story came near
ending the expedition Hartman
studied for an hour or 80 how to
avert anything lko calamity and
finally decided TO leave the professor
In The hands OF the moffending aud
obllgine Hart the snave ltishman
and he went over TO the east side of
the mountains 10 plan for quarters and
And II there was any use Of leading
the professor there. lie found n
number OF people ready 10 meet the
professor. and lost no time In telling
them that II there were any more en-
rcrprlses conducted on the plan which
larsen had outlined to the professor.
TINT II would ho iust No well not to
talk about them They all agreed
that there would be nothing OF that
sort 10 drive the professor out In
fact they said they were sorry that
the ReoloRist had met Larson
The next day about noon. Professor
Lakes aud Tim Hart appeared In the
mountain gap overlooking Lake Col.
nmbine. They wondcd their way
slowly down the winding precIpitous
trail to tho cabin OF Swan and Bloom
The professor was tired II was
plain 10 be seen that he was more
than tired Everybody was as pleas.
ant as baskets of chips Aner n
good supper Tim Hart strung GU, on
s'orics about Honduras and Elngrley
the blk fellow who tried TO KIN Harry
Butler with hundred pound rock
for writing him up aa rape 1cnd.
rhe professor wns not long In discoy-
erlnf that he had found pleasant
diversion from the subjects he had
heard discussed and he Joined with
some interesting and instructive stor.
les
AZ sunrige next mori ms Rloom was
quietly moving about preparing break.
fast Every body around moved about
as nolsolessiy ms the pail bearers do
10 appear solemn nj mlscrs funeral
Breakfast over. Tim Hart WAS request.
ed TO lead the obsequies In vallccito
basin, while Hartman went out on
the East and West Silver mesas hunt.
lng good place to explore next day
When he returned he found the pa
iient lrishman picking up rocks aud
asking the professor what he thought
OF them. They had been very busy
and the professor was much fatigucd
He sat on his hcrso and ma Tim hand
ed him the rocks he threw them
away until Tim found pretty
one when the professor said that iH
very rare specimen of rhodocrosito. {"
Tim replied that Ed Van Endert had
N'iN ah acquaintance ol MS tnHt IL
wns repdelitc,
The professor suggested that cup
of coffee might be refreshing and
everybody was glad to net on the sur
gestion
When the Needles had been finish.
cd the next scene OF action was In
the Bowman district. lust north OF
the north eighty of Johnnie Con
ley's ranch and Goody True told the
professor nice little story about
Johnny being engineer of whcelbar.
row, crossing the plains when bu, u
mere lad, and the professor was pleas
ed with Goody. When thoy depart.
ed from lockwood the professor was
sitting alott on "A boot box and Goody
was sitting on a nail key looillng up
at his new made friend asking II he
thought he would like tho bowman
district when he got TO IL There
was only one citizen up to lockwood
that day from the Bowman district
and as his business that day had re
quircd only two boards on his wagon
with which 10 haul rocks Goody and
the professor bad to hold to each 9th
er going over the rough places to
Keep from falling on
As the late train to Durango was