The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-07-23
THIRD SECTION
YARNS THEY TELL OF SCOTTY.
NEYADAS FULL OF STORIES OF
DEATH VALLEY MINER.


DEATH VALLEY MINER.
7hey Say He Has Hidden store OF q old
OF which He Alone Knows tho Secret
A 81 900 sleeper on Fare Layout
An Effort 10 Rob Him In New York.
GoLDFIELD, New, July 22.Walter Scott
Cowboy Scott-the miner who has been
shooting about the country In special trains,
is one Of the pet puzzles Of this part Of the
country. Stories by the dozen, some true
and some legendary, are told about him
and about the source OF his money.
Ask Scott where he gets oil his money,
and he will tell you that he knows where
gold IL to be found in fabulous quantities
in Death Valley, but where his mine is or
how he happened to find 1t he will not say.
-Ive got big thing out there, he says,
zone of the biggest you ever heard OF.
I've got rock that runs between $40 and $50
a pound. A lot OF fellows want to know
where it Is. Don't l know that l have
been followed several times? don't
want to tip this thing of to anybody, but
the gold is there, and there's lots more all
around.
Fellows come to me when I'm around
town and they say to me: When are you
going out to the desert, Scotty?' i always
tell EN-, Tomorrow and you can bet that
when do go slip away without any one
finding it out"
Death Valley lies about fifty miles south
Of here. 1t is 3le feet below the level Of
the sea, and is said to be the hottest place
in the United States. There are springs,
but the water carries arsenic that proved
fatal in the early sos to a whole train Of
emigrants.
A few months ago Scott came to Gold
field to look the new camp over, and In the
course Of the day dropped into one Of the
score or more Of gambling houses that are
always open here. This is the way he has
described his experience to friend:
.Iwanders over to the faro layout and feels
In my watch pocket to see how strong I
was. l had quite some few bills. and there
was one in there for 81 900 Itook that out
and wrapped it in one dollar bill. Then
butts in and asks the dealer what his limit
was. He looks me up and down. and takes
In my old black buster and blue shirt. and
then he kind Of grins.
.'Anything you've got, old PAL says he,
anything you've got Bet your old black
coat il you want to-
then losses the two bills on to the high
card. 1t looks like one dollar bet, and the
dealer don't say nothing, but he smiles
mighty scornful.
Don't strain yourself nome he says,
and then he makes the turn.
y win, and he throws out q silver dollar to
mo.
MAYBE you better look at that bet again. :
I says. Take another pipe at it.
He spreads her out, and he turns green
when he sees that 81 600 sleeper staring him
In the face. But he was game sport all
right, for he paid the bet But he turned
the box. He didn't want any more OF it.
Here Is one Of the stories Scotty tells
Of New York experiences:
.One time back there l was going down
the line and lighting 'em up little. They
hadn't never seen a man like was. When
went into the cafes they wanted to throw
me out until flashed my roll and began to
buy wine. Then they we're glad to meet
me. Fellows went out and hunted up their
friends to come in and see me spend money.
Every time we cracked bottle it was
to me to lay a S1OO note on the plate and
make the man hump for the change. 1
reckon I'd have had all the change in New
pretty soon in comes Mister Wise Guy
and see him get his laps on that roll Of
mine. He tutted in and bought wine for
him and when saw that he wasn't drink
ing with the rest, but spilling it in the spit
toon I knew there was something stirring.
Pretty soon he got awful loving He wanted
to take me for ride in gas wagon. I
stood for that all right, because was framed
I'D with a smoke pole as long as your leg.
sHe had three friends who came from some
where down the street and they pulled up
pretty soon at kind OF roadhouse and we
went into back room. They wanted me
TO take drink, and when the booze came in
I saw they were going to feed me some
knockout drops and trim me clean.
II didn't wait minute, but out comes
the old smoke pole, and smoked EN- up
plenty. or course I didn't want to hit
nobody, but scared them bunco men pretty
near to death. You'd "a died to see the way
they blew out OF there and hit up that gas
wagon o. theirs. ! shot a few holes in their
benzine buggy. just to show en- was
right"
Scott Ia overrun with hangers-on who
are more than willing to help him get rid
Of his money. They drop in day after day
to SEQ II .Mr. Scott would not like to buy
little real estate or make a%rifling invest
ment-say 5000 or 10000 mere taga-
telle. While he was in Los Angeles the last
time seedy looking stranger went to the
hotel to see II he would not like to endow
cot IN the -Wayfarer's Hospital The
seedy party would willingly carry the money
to the hospital for .Mr. Scott and he thougl
$500 would be about the right sum.
H. he
reached fer his roll. you said five hundred
didn't your Scott peeled of five one hun
dred dollar notes and smoothed them out
on the table.
yes, sir stammered the seedy one
.or-cr maybe you might want to make II
thousand
mot to-day" answered Scott decisively
when go to buying cots In hospitals
it'll be time to put me n the peretic ward
Good morning
AGAIN ENSLAVED.