The Goldfield news. [volume] (Goldfield, Nev.) 1904-1911, 1905-06-02

This is a story reported yesterday bv
those who are reliable and familiar with
the facts:
Twenty years g a young man on
horseback was riding across the north
ern part of Death Valley, making his
way towards a little Nevada settlement
near where Ida. New, is now located.
This young foreigner was Louis +. Chi
atovich, who had just came from Aus
tria, on an emigrant ship. Night came
upon him he had lost his way. After
travelling all night, almost famished
from thirst, the trail covered with sand
and obliterated. he continued his jour
new. When the sun rose he took his
bearings as best he could and pushed his
jaded horse to the northeast. In telling
of his experience Yesterday, he said
that he never will forget the anguish Of
that terrible day. At nightfall his
tongue was swollen, and his faithful
horse was in a furnishing condition. Just
then his horsesthrew IN its head, gave Il
neigh, a. ii To its rider, and
turned directly AZ a right angle with the
course they had beer pursuing, starting
at a brisk trot. At l0o'clock that night
horse and rider were Stacking their
thirst at a mountain spring near the
crest OF what j. known as Gold Noun
tain. about halfway between Goldtield
and Bullirog. New.
Chiatovich says: II lay down on the
mountain side with my saddle for a pill
low, after drinking from the water OF
that spring, and felt that | could then
die contentedly. No one can conceive
the terrible fear of dying of thirst on
the desert. My faithful horse browsed
on the sage brush, and ] fell into a most
refreshing slumber. When awoke the
sun was up, and | felt the pangs of hun
ger most acutely. / saddled my horse
determined to put on northward, but II
was a discouraging undertaking, without
food, trail or compass. / had barely
mounted. when to my great surprise and
Joy, | saw smoke ascending from a clus-
ter of trees less than half a mile distant.
! knew then that human beings were
near. and it mattered little to me
whether they We're hostile Indians or
mining prospectors. Even an Indian
camp would be welcome under these
conditions. Heading for the place |
found a cabin in the cluster of trees, and
its occupant was an aged Frenchman
who greeted me very kindly, invited me
to share his breakfast, and insisted that
| accept feed for my horse. The French
man appeared happy to have company,
and persuaded me to rest and remain his
guest for a few days. The Frenchman
was a prospector. and during the four
days that | remained at his cabin, he
showed me that he had staked out some
claims on a great ledge OF gold ore as
high as my horse and from six to twelve
feet wide. He had driven a small tun-
mel a short distance on the OutcrOp OF
the ledge into the hill and mortared the
ore in the most primitive way. Thus he
had extracted several hundred dollars of
gold dust, and told me that his property
was the making of a great mine, and
that some day he would return to his
sunny France, a rich man.
My STAY at his cabin" said Chiato-
vich with emotion, was the beginning
OF a lasting friendship between the
Frenchman and myself. though he never
returned to his sunny France. l settled
and later engaged in business near Sill
yer Peak, New, about 12u miles from my
friends camp. but visited him quite
often, and spent many days with him,
bringing with me good cheer and COM
fort for the mar who had befriended me
in the hour of my direst distress. Eight
years later he iell sick and died after a
brief Illness, during which | made him
as comfortable as possible. He willed
his mining property, the value OF which
was not known at that time. to me and
OllltI lTIcIu- VINO Idt deem EIltu To llllll.
The two other legatees wanted to dis
pose OF their share OF the property, and
l bought them out. That was twelve
years ago. and ever since | have been
developing the property. Recently I
had the mine examined by experts and
found that there are almost 81 5000
of ore blocked out and in sight, ready to
be stopped and milled into gold. Ten
years ago | built a little five stamp mill,
eight miles distant from the mine, at
Thorpe's Wells. Since then l have
hauled just the ore we tool out in run
ming the drifts, sinking wines and
making upraises; and that has amount
ed to abont $142, There has never
been a pound OF ore stopped out OF the
mine, not a pound, only the ore we took
out in sinking shafts and driving the
tunnels. There is a rich streak OF ship