Bisbee daily review., 1906-12-02
LOST MINES IN ARIZONA

cient strength he set out for his home
 in Missouri. As yet, though eagerly
 asked and importuned to do So he
 had refused to reveal the location of
 his claim. He reached home to find that his wife and children had been
 driven from their home by the credit Tor, and died in his wife's arms. The money he had brought with him from Arizona served to recover the home
 from which his family had been driven
 but the secret of the lost vein died
 with him. No one of the hundreds
 who have sisce attempted to search
 for it has been able to find it.
 r Another queer story of lost mine is that of the Lost Gunsight, said to
 be situated in the high Chiricahua mountains in northwestern Cochise county. Years ago the Apache Indi-
 ans of the San Carlos reservation and in the American Valley, to the north,
 told of a wonderful rich gold mine from which their ancestors used to get all the gold they wanted which they
 used for ornaments, and to barter with
 the white people. They said no such other mine had ever been discovered, and that beyond San Simon a twenty
 mile trail began which led high in
 the mountains 10 it. But when it
 came to showing the white man the trail the Indians were superstitious.
 At length, however, Josefa, an old
 Indian woman. consented to pilot the
 gold hunters there. They fitted out a
 little company and all started in the
 best of spirits. Josefa told them that
 eventually they would find a curious
 cave in the mountains which had been
 used as fortress when the tribe
 had been pursued by other Indians.
 They came at length to an old trail
 and followed it for some distance. In
 places it was faint and could scarcely
 be traced. In others it was deep and
 well worn by torrents from the noun
 tains. But all along, though very an
 cier.... the trail preserved it's identity
 Finally, however, the old woman be-
 came overcome as if by fear. and she refused to go any further. They of
 cred her rewards but these had no effect on her. She was determined to-
 return and nothing they could sa,
 had any influence over her. The gole
 Aunters pursued the search Thes
 ddAbed the mountains along the traii anl finally found the cave It was a Strange cleft in the side of the gorgs, which had peculiar opening, and,
 when penetrated. showed various In
 dian idols and rude earthenware mask ed by the queer characters of the Indi ans. The cave was large enough to hold hundred people, and from its peculiar position, was an impregnable fortress. A little further up the steep mountain they found a huge oak grow ing in the trail From its size it was deemed a hundred years old. It had grown up since the early Indians had first worked the old mine. Pieces of quartz were found along the route in which even by the naked eye gold could be seen. They followed the trail. but it finally became so faint, by reason of the torrents on the noun. tains. and the heavy growth of soap weed and cactus. oak and other trees, | that it lost its identity. At length. by ] much effort, they found it again, but | 1t again became lost and this occur ed SO often that they were baff1ed, | and finally gave up the hunt. Numer | ous other searches have been made | for the lost mine, but always fruit l less Some of the samples of ore se- cured from the Indians assayed as high as 5000 to the ton.
 Traditions and stories have it that somewhere in the Eagle Tail range of mountains the famous Pegleg mine exists, its great wealth of yellow met al undisturbed since its discovery and working more than fifty years ago. Since this almost mythical mine was first discovered many parties have been outfitted for the purpose of re- the lost bonanza. Like most of the old-time mines the Peg leg has romantic story connected with it. Thirty years ago the house of a business firm in Yuma received nearly ss,000 worth of gold nuggets from two prospectors who had some what mysteriously made their appear ance in the town. After purchasing supplies they just as mysteriously dis appeared in the direction of Agua Caliente. They were trailed, however, by three Mexicans who cautiously fol lowed them in a northeasterly direc ton from Hot Springs, but being ap- prehensive of being followed a retro grade movement was made which brought them face to face with the Mexicans A return was therefore