Los Angeles herald., 1906-04-05
Former Los Angeles Policeman Stum-
bles on Papers Which Lead
to Discovery of FabuIously
Rich Gold Mine

When C. w Roach, formerly a mem
ber of the Los Angeles police depart
ment, stumbled onto a baking POWDER
can near Barstow several months ago
he little realized that the key to what
promises to be a fabulously rich mine
was before him, but such it proved
| to be.
Within the can was still another can.
and within the second can was a de-
| scription of Ferdinand Egbert's lost
mine. The location was given and full
details of its discovery confronted Mr.
| Roach.
This was three months ago, although
Egbert has been dead for ten years.
Today the Barstow Mining and Mill
ing company is a reality, and a tunnel
10S feet long, which opens up veins of
ore worth from $114 to $345 ton, awaits
| further development work Of the COM
pany.
Chinese Furnish Money
Soon after Mr. Roach discovered the
papers, and long before he was aware
Just how rich the property was upon
which he filed his claim, Wong Kee,
the Chinese banker, restaurant keeper
and general store owner at Barstow,
was appealed to for funds to carry on
the development work
| Recognizing in Mr.. Roach man
upon whom he could depend, and hav-
! ing more or less knowledge of the value
of mining claims Wong Kee produced
the necessary cash and became the first
vice president Of the company.
Then followed active development
work. Several tunnels were started,
the two richest veins were cross-cut
again and again, and finally at the
present time the company finds itself
in position to begin removing ore run
ming as high as $345 to the ton.
The ore is a milling proposition pure
and simple, and although carrying a
| trace of silver there are no minerals
present except gold that will pay for
the trouble in getting them to market.
AS soon as possible a twenty-stamp
mill will be built, and as the mine is
located near the Mojave river, which at
present Is nearly a mile wide, there will
| be an abundance Of water available.
The claim is but one of eleven claims
owned by the company. They are di-
rectly in line with the survey of the
Salt Lake route. and when that COM
pany's tracks are laid from San Ber-
nardino to Dagget they will pass within
few rods Of the property.
The vicinity surrounding the claims
ia notable because Of the early history
| of the state and Incidents connected
with the old Santa Fe trail. Here 1t
was that a graveyard was established
! In an early day. at a time when few
words were spoken but many shots
were fired. No less than thirty-seven
distinct graves are to be found at the
present time, and probably fifty others
| have become obscured from the wash
ing of the ground at that point.
Officers Of the Company
The officers of the company are as
follows:
G. W. Roach, president and manager.
Wong Kee, first vice president.
It. A. Smithson, second vice president
Mr.. Roach is well known to many
Los Angeles people, having been at one
time a member of the local police de-
partment.
He has been employed by the Santa !
Fe and Southern Pacific companies as
a special officer at different times and |
for a year or two was constable at
Fullerton. From this time on, how
ever, he will give his undivided atten-
tion to the mine which he discovered |
in such a peculiar manner three
months ago.