Evening star., 1905-08-22

Many Of those who have explored the coun-
try declare 1t to be q fake. It IL at least
fair to say that the amount os gold brought
out Of the new district does not Justify the
sensational stories that have been cfrcu-
lated concerning It's rich deposits. On the
other hand, the defenders Of the district
declare tnat there Is plenty OF rich ore held
In reserve that has not been shipped be-
cause Of the high frieghts. II Is refractory
ore. and must be smeited. There are no
smelters nearer than San Francisco, Ell
Paso or Salt Lake. and freight rates are
$50 ton. When the railroad now building
reaches Goldf1eld, the ore can be shipped.
Bullfrog, the rival town. In In the Amar.
gosa valley, about ninety miles south or
Goldhelds. and got its name from q ledge
OF vivid green quartz that projects from
Is painted desert." The rocks and the
clays. like those OF the Grand canyon. ap-
pear in most brilliant celors. just as the
fires OF the volcanoes left them. In the
pure air and intense light of the desert
the brilliancy of their tints is exaggerated
The Gold Fields District.
There Is another town named Beatty with
perhaps 1900 people; and Rhyolite has as
many as 1000. Several other mining camps
are scattered over an area perhaps $50 miles
square. which constitutes what Is called the
Goldfeld district and before the end of the
year every inch of 1t will be inspected with
q microscope. The sensational stories that
have been published about the richness Of
the find have attracted hundreds Of ex-
pertenced prospectors as well as wild-eyed
enthusiasts from every part OF the world.
They have come from Alaska. Australia and
South Africa and many fthem are ear
nest. able mineralogists. While this class OF
men do not say much. they are making
thorough exploration and several have set
tied down on claims. Everybody wears
khaki. Every jacket has six or eight pock-
cts. Every pocket is filled with samples Of
ore In the Goldfelds district about 1.S0O
claims have been registered: in the vicinity
Of Bull Frog almost as many and alto
gether In the district not less than 10000:
so that the territory Is pretty well taken up.
While the prospectors pursue the same
routine that is followed in all new mining
camps. everybody Is looking for two lost
mines, which are supposed to be located
somewhere In this section, and they are be-
Heved to be Of unparalleled richness. Ono
OF them was discovered many years ago by
wooden-legged prospector known as
"Pegleg Smith," brother of famous
trapper and guide named Jedediah Smith,
who was one Of Fremont's guides and ono
OF the earliest white men in the desert coun-
"Pegleg' Smith. while guiding a party over
this desert sometime in the eos found out
cropping ore In the side of mountain from
which he carried away $1,000 worth of mug
gets. He organized an expedition In Los
Angeles and started over the trail again,
but before the party reached the place
smith succumbed to the heat and died. His
companions were not able to find the mine
and it never has been located to this day.
scores OF lives have been lost In the search
Tor 1t. For forty years 1t has been one of
the phantoms that have enticed avaricious
ana ambitious men into the desert from
which they have never emerged again Most
OF them have perished from lack of water.
Several expeditions. we'll equipped and
packed by large sums of money. have en-
gagged in the search: but "Pegleg Smiths
mine Is still among the mysteries.
Bryfogel's Mine.
Another rich deposit Of gold was discov-
cred about the same time by an old Dutch
man named Bryfogel. He was a teamster
IN the early days of Nevada and while driv-
Ing two young prospectors from the south
across the desert. about 1856 or 1867, they
discovered ledge Of fabulous richness The
young men refused to stop and develop it.
but took samples of the ore with them to
Austin, Nevada. where they told their story
The southerners relinquished their claims in
favor OF Bryfogel who secured financial as
slstance and organized a party to develop
the NINE They started from Austin with
tools, machinery and an abundance Of sup
plies but Bryfogel lost his way. and, after
wandering about the desert for several
weeks. his companions became exasperated
and threatened to lynch him for an i'm
postor He stuck to his story and when
they decided to return to Austin he would
hot go pack Wlth ITEM. They gave him
what provisions they could spare and he
continued the search. but in an encounter
with party Of Piute Indians was struck on
the head and all recollection of the mine
and other events of the past was destroyed.
He was well known throughout the mining
regions OF Nevada a harmless imbecile
with hallucination. Nevertheless many
people believed In him, especially those who
had seen the ore that he and the young
southerners brought in; and Bryfogels mine
has been searched for as often as that OF
"Pegleg Smith.