Durango semi-weekly herald., 1906-03-15

man mining prospector in Nevada,
claims TO have discovered in the foot
hills Of the weird Funeral mountains
OF Death valley a ledge of rich cop
per and gold ores on a ridge that tow
ers 1900 feet in the air. once Lii
liam Malcolm, according to her story.
crossed the Chilcoot in Alaska alone.
in her search for gold. The railroad
had not been built that has since
minimized the difficulties OF Alaskan
travel in the Chilceot region Miss
Malcolm declares that the tour OF
the Funeral mountains was more ha2-
ardous than her lonely journey
through the Chilcoot years ago.
No white person has ever visited
the spot where | viewed the great
copper deposit until / made my way
there she said to San Francisco
Call reporter. Il have never before
seen such ruggedness in the noun
| tains as the Funeral range presents.
To climb up almost perpendicular
fore the objective point can be reach
ed. | have been a prospector for ten
years and have passed much of my
time in the mountains of Alaska. Col
| orado and other places where there
| are mines. The Funeral range is the
| worst of any. I made up my mind
| that | would search for copper and
| gold in the foothills OF the Funeral
mountains. | was compelled to cross
| the range to get to where I wished to
go. | mad no fear, but there were
| minutes when, in climbing, | did not
| dare to look back, but only kept right
on.
There were many places where a .
misstep meant sure death. All thore
was to do was to 20 ahead once
statrted there was no way To stop
without confessing defeat. Finally /
found what | was looking for At
first could hardly believe my eyes.
| I had reached a point about % miles
fro mthe line of the Clark road and
sixteen miles from the line of The
Borax Smith road. when the ledge
oomed up immensely.
Then was happy. I have studied
mineralogy, geology and other lines
| leading to mining, and | have done
assessment work with m yowu hands
in a shaft sixty feet deep. In short
my experience has been such that
believe that am competent to know
whether my mineral discoveries are
valuable
THE ledge stands up clearly from
| fifty to rs feet, with both gold and
copper t. it-but more copper than
| gold. There may he millions there
in easy reach-a quantity that be.
lieve is almost beyond ordinary com.
| pntation. If | am not mistaken the
discovery is valuable for its richness
and also because it opens up knowl-
edge of an entirely new copper belt
In the Death valley"
Picturesqueness is added 10 Miss
Malcolm's trip by the fact that tine
! Indian half-breed she took into the
desert where so many strong men
have died is 'Bill Kee." who is Scot
iy's friend This Indian Is a good
| guide.
The next step that Lillian Malcolm
will take will he 10 inform the rail-
| road builders who are constructing
lines into the minerali2ed regions of
Nevada OF the Typographical features
| of the country to be crossed to reach
point from which her copper and
gold discoveries are reasonably with
| In. reach of transportation facilities.
The place that required weeks for
her to reach can be brought within
a snort time of present surveys.
There is plenty of timber In the Pan
amint mountains that can be utilized
for mining purposes. The toot OF the
steam whistle may yet be heard in
the fearful Businesses Of dcsolation
that have so long appalled, stout
hearted men, only finally to he con-
qnered bg woman in search of pro-
cious metals.