Tonopah bonanza. [volume] (Butler City [i.e. Butler], Nev.) 1901-1909, 1906-07-28
OLD LEGANDS OF
DEATH VALLEY
Strange Happenings Almost Be-
yOnd Human Explanation.

Death Valley is certainly a place of
great interest to the outside world, and
Rhyolite Herald is taking advantage,
naturally, of its close proximity to that
region to hunt up some very interest
ing legands regarding this weird portion
of tbe West. In a recent issue it gives
some of these fascinating accounts, an
excerpt of which is here given:
"While gold seems to be the underly-
ing cause of the great interest taken in
Death Valley, yet a mysterious facin-
alton takes possession of all who once
brave its dangers. Numberless legands
have been handed down from genera
ton to generation, of strange happen
ings almost beyond human explanation,
yet at the bottom of all run the streak
of gold, for which men daily sell their
lives and oftentimes their very souls.
"0ld Indian trails and signs still point
the way from spring to spring telling
whether the water is good or bad, the
distance from one to the other, the pass
able and impossible canyons, the loca-
ton of old Indian villages, etc. In order
to read the signs correctly, n mustbe
familiar with their ways and customs,
and even then it has become difficult on
account of changes that are constantly
taking place through natural and human
agencies.
1.-THE trails are of different periods,
some being much later than others. At
intervals, beside the trails are monu-
ments of stone, with a pointed rock
showing the directions to take. Two
rocks pointing in opposite directions in
dicate that it is impossible. The loca-
ton of metal stones is also significant.
A metal stone is a fiat stone, followed
in the center, used for grinding acorns
for -four, and will be found not more
than a half days travel from water.
Many springs known to the Indians are
not down on the maps.
HEpdeavoring to find a pass through
the mountains, on a recent trip, a party
followed the Indian tran and signs, and
were led a course, which passed three
springs, and some old breast=wefks
which Indians had used to hide behind
when lying in wait for mountain sheep.
lone Of the first gold excitements was
back In the ffties, when Breyfogle
found fine free gold, but was unable t.
return to the exact spot. He was after
ward hit with a stone, hurled by al
Indian, which is supposed to have in
jured his brain.
Beatty has expressed the opinion
that the Breyfogle find was between
Willow Springs and the Original Bull
frog. Charlie Nyman thinks it is be
tween Keane Springs, Willow Spring
and Death Valley, while n of Brey
fogle's party described Hole-in-Rock
The wind-breaks are located about /
miles south of Ryholite. Anothe
legand is of an Indian who went int
Cerro Gordo, with a rock full of FIRE
gold, which he sold for s.. The whit
man tried get him to tell where
found it, but the Indian was wise ar
kept its location to himself. He WI
~accidently killed a short time aft
while hunting sheep and the secret di'
with him. Some think this find WI
the same as Breyfogle's.
''The valley itself is about all that
has been painted. At times a man
beast would mire out of sight and
other times the shifting sands won
bury him alive. Yet men live the
year after year, without feeling tn
they are mourning any unusual amou
of danger. They know where tn
may or may not go, and how to prepa
for emergencies. 1t is safe to say tn
a few more years will see a wonderi
change in Death Valley of the past, a
gold will be the cause Of its final 81
render to the will of man."