The daily morning journal and courier., 1905-11-16
NARROWED IN THE DESERT.

by his buFros stampeding in search of feed and after nearly perishing in a sandstorm, besides suffering terribly from the heat and thirst, J. D. Neville of his city still has such faith in the gold-bearing district surrounding the famous Death Valley that he is plan ming to return to it for a second pros pecting trip.
 Mir. Neville, who is manager of the Free Coinage Gold Mining Company of Cripple Creek and resides at No S36 Og- den street, this city, has just returned from trip through Death Valley, where so many prospectors have met their fate. It was trip fraught with peril at every step, yet Mir. Neville and William Hurley, also well-known Col orado prospector, covered practically every foot of the nineralized district surrounding Death Valley and were so impressed with what they saw that they are planning to return.
 That place is rightly named,' said Mir Neville. Many people have per ished there. and it is wonder, that more have not died in the valley. The heat is something terrific. Around Salt Creek and Furnace Creek Is about the lowest and hottest place. Why, last May we suffered with the thermometer at 135 in the shade, and it was 103 de- grees at midnight when we were on Furnace Creek. Our hands and faces swelled up like roasted meat, and the hot winds almost burned out our eyes. It is only within the last few days that my hands have resumed anywhere near their normal size, and now they are blistered and cracked.
 One of the most exciting experiences we had was at Breyfogle's tank, when our burros left us and went back twen- ty miles in search of feed before we caught them. There was water, but no feed at Breyfogle's. Of course, the great question in the valley is getting water. At Salt Creek, for instance, there is a barrel sunk in the earth, and if you find 1t the water is good for stock, but not for man. We were un- able to. find this barrel. carried a canteen that held about 8 gallon and a half, but that would last a man only about three hours.
 we found that heavy woolen uNder- wear was the best. It would remain wet and the evaporation would keep you cool so you could stand the heat better.
 "The sandstorms are treacherous and the cause of many deaths. The sand drifts with the least excuse just like snow. It piles up in hills that change the whole character of the landscape and makes you lose the trails, so that sometimes you travel dozen miles tc go five or six miles between springs The sand covers the springs and you have to dig several feet to find water Most of the prospectors meet. death from Surveyors wells, south The Col orado men. Titus and Wells, were found by a party on the way to these wells
 "We had a narrow escape by being caught in a sandstorm while goina from the Hole in the Rock to Stove. pipe Springs. We got out of our way about six miles and when the storm caught us, about two in the afternoon we could hardly see our hands In front of our faces. We sought shelter behind a sand hill and mosquito bush and haG to remain there until after sundown l The burros were unable to take a steT while the storm was in progress.
 ''The country surrounding Death Val. ley is all heavily mineralized and wha it needs is men to do some work There has been some prospecting, but the country now needs some one to get be, low the surface and develop what prob ably will mean great big camp.
 1T met lots of friends of the now. famous 'Scotty,' Walter Scott, the COW boy miner who makes the record break. ing railroad trips, at Ballarat. None of the men know where his mine is, all though they kRow of several of hi. camps, and claims. Most people in tha, country surmise that 'Scotty' has found the caches. of robbers who operated or the stage lines in the early days 9th. CTS believe that he is paid for advertis l ing by the railroads. Anyway, no ont seems to know of his selling any large amounts of ore.
 l "Prospectors are going into Deatl ] Valley rapidly now, for the winter i! the best time. They are talking o1 l building mill at Bullfrog and tht surveyors of the Clark Road told u! that they expected to get line into Bullfrog from Las Vegas by Angus next. Then the indications are that i will be big camp. There is plenty of ore there now, but nothing under $15O a. ton is worth shipping at present
 ITO show you the difference in the country up there, Telephone Mountain on the western edge of the valley, i. 1o963 feet high, while the sink ot Amorgosa, in the south-oentral part O the valley, is 45 feet below sea level."- Denver Times.
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