The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1906-07-23
DEATH VALLEY FULL
Of OLD LEGENDS
Interesting Accounts Are Given
to Explain Origin of Mar
velous Ore.
LOVE FOR GOLD
DRAWS MEN ON
Location Of BreyfOgle Mine Still
Remains Mystery Deep
as Ever.

The Rhyolite Herald Is taking adyan-
tage, naturally. Of its proximity to tho
Death Valley country to hunt up some
very interesting legends regarding this
Interesting portion Of the West In a
recent issue the Herald gives some Of
these fascinating accounts. an excerpt Of
which is here given.
while gold seems to be the underlying
cause Of tho great interest taken In Death
valley, yet a mysterious fascination takes
possession OF all who once brave its dan
gers. Numberless legends have been
handed down from generation TO sener-
alton, of strange happenings almost be-
yond human explanation, yet at the bot
tom Of all runs tho etreak OF gold, for
which mon daily sell their lives and
ottentimes their very souls.
"Old Indian trails and signs still point
the way from spring to spring telling
whether tho water Is good or bad, the
distance from one to tho other, the pas
sable and tmpasaable canyons. tho looa-
tlon of old Indian villages, etc. In order
10 read the signs correctly, ono must be
familiar with their ways and customs,
and even then 1t has become difficult on
account of changes that are constantly
taking place through natural and human
agencies,
"The trails are of different periods,
some being much later than others. AT
intervals, beside the trails are monu-
ments of stone, with pointed rock
showing the direction to take. Two rocks
pointing In opposite directions indicate
that 1t is impossible. The location of
metat stones are also significant. A
Tnetat stone is nat stone, followed In
tho center, used for grinding acorns for
-four and will be found not more than q
half days travel from water. Many
springs known to the Indians are not
down on the maps.
Endenvoripg to And pass through the
mountains. on a recent trip, party
followed the Indian trail and signs. and
were lead a course, which passed three
springs, and some old breast-work5
which Indians had used to hide behind
when lying in wait for mountain sheep,
One OF the first gold excitements was
back In the ffties, when Breyfogle found
fine free gold. but was unable to return
10 the exact spot. He was afterward hit
with stone hurled by an Indian. which
Is supposed to have Injured his brain.
Beatty has expressed the opinion that
the Breyfogle find was between Willow
Springs and the Original Bullfrog. Charlie
Nyman thinks 1t Is between keane
Springs, Willow Springs and Death val
ley. while one OF Breyfogle's party de-
scribed Hole-ln-Rook. The windbreaks
supposed TO have been used by Breyfogle
are located about eighteen miles south Of
Rhyolte. Another legend is of an Indian
who went into Cerro Gordo. with a rock
full Of free gold, which he sold for IS
The white men tried TO get him TO tell
where he found 1t. but the Indian was
wise and kept It's location 10 himself. He
was accidentally killed a short time after
while hunting sheep and the secret died
With him. Some think this find was the
same as Breyfogle's.
The valley itself is about all that It
has been painted. At times a
man or beast would mire out Of sight and
at other times the shifting sands would
almost bury him alive, Yet men live
there year after year, without feeling
that they are mourning any unusual
amount of danger. They know where they
may and may not go, and how to prepare
for emergencies. 1t is safe to say that
n few more years will see a wonderful
change In the Death valley of the past,
and gold Will be the cause OF It's final sur
render to the will Of man"