The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1904-10-16
SKELETONS LINE
WAY TO MINES,
PrOspectors Start for New Gold
Fields in Terrible Death
Valley.
AIR DEVOID OF MOISTURE.
Death or Madness Threatens Al
most Every Man Who Tries
to Make the Long
Journey.
AIR DEVOID OF MOISTURE.

San Francisco. Oct. 15.-Recent discover
les of gold in the heart of what has for a
long time been the famous Death Valley
district. at a point known as Furnace
Creek. nave attracted the attention of
thousands Of would-be miners. but only a
few have had the temerity to brave the
terrible valley during the warm months.
The first discovery was made at a place
only fourteen miles from the ranch of the
Pacific Coast Borax Company in Inyo
County. Jack Keane OF Ballarat. on the
desert. was the first to find a rich vein in
this part Of Death Valley.
In December. 1903. he went into the
region TO prospect with 4 Mexican part
rer named Domingo Etcharren. They
found a ledge over twenty feet wide which
assays 500 to the ton across the whole
width of the outcrop. and without doing
any work on the edge they sold the claim
to Captain De la Mar for 500, 600.
Last June John sldi and Mix Sullivan
of Ballsrat went out toward Furnace
Creek in the height of the great heat and
| a continuation of Keane's ledge. they
sold their claim 10 Gaylord. OF Los An
geles. This second find Set all the pros
pectors on the Mojave Desert wild.
A'1 SSA~o ~ e&AA nv ~ q ~
Furnace Creek. and the lonely canons.
which are deserted even by coyotes in the
summer heat. have seen men scrambling
through them in eager search for GOD.
II many lives are not lost IL Will ne a
wonder. for the heat Is over 10 degrees
in the shade and water IS infrequent on
the trails.
Only the experienced desert prospector
can endure the heat. which seems To Dig
up the tissue and TO cause an intolerabie
thirst. II will surprise anyone VINO is un-
So Ia ~ Nt- NAearf 4. "a the .Sfrlt
Of this heat On men, animals and even
on inanimate things like wagons and har-
ness.
along the fringe Of both the Mojave and
the Colorado deserts the atmosphere IS so
devoid OF moisture that everything Is as
dry as bone. The neS arrived finds that
all superfiuous fat and flesh appear 20
melt away from him. He has TO take up
several holes in his bet and he has 10
drink gallons OF water every day Where
he ordinarily drank glasses.
In fact. the system Graves SO much
water that when II cannot be procured the
mans strength fails rapidly, and to be
without 1t. even in the shade. is sure death
on the trail and 10 be forced to travel
over the desert IN the fierce glare OF the
sun means insanity in a few minutes and
death in a few hours.
Not even tne seasoned resident can resist
this heat for long. the only recourse OF
the old resden; who loses his water sup
pIv III dlN WY IL ~ scth SIACllCi uAhsSs q
mesquite bush and to wait until the sun
goes down. Then lie must hit the trail
and reach a well before sunrise. or. unless
he mas wonderful vitality; his skeleton win
be added 10 the large collection that lines
all the roads through Death Valley.
Nothing else puts the terror of the desert
into the tenderfoot like coming upon one
Of these skeletons. usually with no trace
OF clothing near by. II search IS made
one may ind the clothing not far away,
where the poor victim. crazed by the heat.
who Soes insane on the desert from heat
ID to strip and then travel in a circle till
he drops from weakness.
By many OF these skeletons will be found
holes which despairing hands have dug in
the hot desert sands in the vain senrch for
the life-sivinR water.
or course, the tenderfoot has no show
when he gets lost or his water gives on:
on the desert: but even the seasoned desert
resident frequently gives up. Last April
James Littlehsld OF BaIlarat started OF
Greek to 20 TO Ballarat. 1t was a twenty
four-hour Journey and he took an ample
supply Of water.
In his haste to reach the end OF his
Journey he tried to make a short cut and
lost the trail. His water gave out and for
four days and three nights he wandered
over the desert.
He was without water after the first day |
and without any food after the second. In
MS haIf-crsEed condition. seasoned az he
was TO the heat. he tried to kill himself.
but failed.
He finally reached an Indian camp at
Emigrant Springs. and the natives took
MIN by team to Ballarat- There he was a
full month before he recovered from his
su1erinss on the desert without water.
All the papers printed near the Mojave
Desert are trying TO discourage miners, |
especially OF the tenderfoOt class, from
rushing into Death Valley during the hot
weather. The only big company in the
whole region Is the Borax Company. on
Furnace Creek. The managers nave strin-
gent orders not to sell hay or horse feed
10 any one. and several prospectors havel
been compelled to return after reaching |
the new mining district. as their horse |
feed gave ont and they couldn't buy any.
The company has given water. food and
horse feed TO several prospectors who |
would have persisted except for such aid. |
but il is dangerous to venture into a coun-
try where money will not buy the neces-
saries of life.